Mazda is going to a new level: a rival in the market will be Lexus
The Japanese brand does not plan to compete for customers with German premium brands: Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.
Overall, sales of Mazda vehicles in Europe have been good in recent years. Positive dynamics has been observed since 2018, however, the “covid” year 2020 made its own adjustments in the form of a continuous “minus”. So, in the specified year, 149,794 cars of the brand were sold on the market of the Old World, which is almost 40% less than in 2019. Last year, Mazda returned to the plus – the Europeans bought 156,821 units. (4.7% more).
Pictured: The current Mazda 6 sedan (UK version)
Mazda UK boss Jeremy Thomson told Autocar that the brand is now entering an era of transformation and electrification. He noted that the company intends to reach a new level – premium. In particular, he explained that the manufacturer intends to continue to develop and produce cars that will become an alternative to the “premium traditional mainstream”.
Jeremy Thomson noted that Mazda has no plans to compete for buyers with the “big German three” (ie Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi). The company assumes that in the European market the brand may be in the sub-segment “Japanese premium”, in which Lexus is in the lead.
Consider that Lexus sales in Europe have been on the rise since 2014, but were hit by a covid 2020 when buyers bought just 47,085 vehicles, down 15.6% from a year earlier. In 2021, sales continued to fall: dealers sold 46,255 cars of the brand in the Old World, which is 1.8% less than a year earlier.
According to Jeremy Thomson, Mazda has “a completely unique approach to powertrains.” In addition, according to him, the advantage of Japanese brand cars is the high quality and rich equipment of even standard models. In addition, he emphasized the style of the brand's cars and explained that Mazda has a “different approach to design compared to other Japanese manufacturers.”
Mazda CX-60 Preview
It is worth noting that Mazda has been eyeing the premium segment for several years now. So, a few years ago, the updated Mazda 6 sedan debuted, which, in particular, received a more luxurious interior trim. In addition, the company has developed a different platform for its premium models: it has a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive. This “trolley” will form the basis of the Mazda CX-60 crossover, which will premiere next week, March 8th. Earlier we reported that the interior of the novelty was highlighted.
Recall that later Mazda intends to introduce the three-row crossover CX-80 in Europe (it is also planned to be sold in Japan), and in North America there will be an SUV with a “wide body” – the five-row CX square. -70 and three-row CX-90. All listed models belong to the premium series of a large product group.
