Mazda wants 25% boost in Mazda6 sales

[Blue Oval Guide]

Mazda wants 25% boost in Mazda6 sales

 

Mazda said on Tuesday it aimed to boost worldwide sales of the remodelled Mazda6 car, one of its key global models, by a quarter this year despite an uncertain outlook for the U.S. and Japanese markets.

 

Unveiling the redesigned mid-sized car, called Atenza in Japan, for the domestic market on Tuesday, the Hiroshima-based automaker said it would target sales of 300,000 of the vehicles globally, with 18,000 of that at home. It sold about 240,000 in 2007. READ MORE HERE.

[EMDEE]

I dunno about this. The Mazda has been something of a dud in the US market for reasons that seem pretty obvious to me: it's a boring, generic Japanese design. For years, it's been too small to compete with the Accord and Camry. Mazda kept sending us the Japanese version, while Honda and Toyota always created a longer and wider versions of the Accord and Camry for the US market. Ford stretched the platform for US use in the Fusion. Apparently this time the Mazda6 is on the same size plaltform as the Fusion. Still, the only picture I've seen of the new Mazda6 wasn't very encouraging - still a pretty dull conservative design. It's a shame because Mazda builds great cars and their 3 series has some real lookers. Maybe Ford is holding them back?

Edited January 29, 2008 by EMDEE

[svtcobra2383]

I dunno about this. The Mazda has been something of a dud in the US market for reasons that seem pretty obvious to me: it's a boring, generic Japanese design. For years, it's been too small to compete with the Accord and Camry. Mazda kept sending us the Japanese version, while Honda and Toyota always created a longer and wider versions of the Accord and Camry for the US market. Ford stretched the platform for US use in the Fusion. Apparently this time the Mazda6 is on the same size plaltform as the Fusion. Still, the only picture I've seen of the new Mazda6 wasn't very encouraging - still a pretty dull conservative design. It's a shame because Mazda builds great cars and their 3 series has some real lookers. Maybe Ford is holding them back?

 

 

Dull and Conservative? Mazda? That is the stupidest thing i've read on one of these forums yet. If Ford products looked like the Mazdas they would be in much better position.

[old_fairmont_wagon]

The Mazda6 was held back in the US market due to several reasons. The main one was size as the back seat accomodations really aren't that much larger than what I had in my corolla. Another reason were its underwhelming powerplants. While they were certainly a step above what was in the 626, it still wasn't very competitive in the market. Add to that the fact that for part of its life, it wasn't the cheapest in its segment and the limited Mazda dealership network, and you have a discription of an underperforming sales item. What it did have going for it were superior handling dynamics and a nice interior with a progressive exterior design that has aged reasonably well.

 

The new one, at least the one in the US market, should remedy just about all of that. The size is increased. The powerplants have grown. The platform has evolved. The interior is likely still very good. I suspect that the handling will still be superior. If everything comes out right, it will trump the formula that Nissan uses in the Altima, matching or beating it at its own game in every performance catagory out there while offering possibly better quality and a much better interior.

[elkarlo]

I think Mazda's biggest problem is production. MAzda3 had a great year in 2007, as well as CX7/CX9 being introduced. I think that sucked up all their production, adding to the 6's problems. Until Mazda adds world production, or gears up in Hiroshima, Mazda will be a small time player.