It is aimed at the German establishment.
It seems like automakers are trying to be luxury brands. Higher profit margins is the answer. As accountants will tell, it’s not about selling the most cars. The money earned with each vehicle sold is equally important. Mazda is a good example of this. It has been steadily moving upmarket with its latest models and will now take it to the next level with a new generation of RWD-based models.
Jeremy Thomson, the UK boss of the company, stated that the goal was to make Zoom-Zoom a luxury car manufacturer. We are not trying to imitate the German premium, as that is already well covered by the incumbents and likely impossible to match them at their own game.
Mazda does not want to be the next Mercedes, BMW or Audi. It wants to offer something new to premium car buyers looking for a change. Thomson continued to state that there was still space in the luxury segment for a Japanese high end car. Jeremy Thomson acknowledges that Lexus is about a third of Mazda’s sales volume, but the goal is to occupy “a slightly more space.”
Autocar was asked by the UK chief if Mazda wanted to become the next Lexus. He said that Toyota’s luxury brand is the only one that can compete with the Germans. We must not forget Acura and Infiniti also play in the big leagues. However, they aren’t truly global brands.
Mazda has been looking to improve its image for some time. Many will be familiar with the dead-on arrival Amati subbrand in the early 1990s. The Japanese economy crashed in 1992 and the company was left with liquidity problems. Mazda pulled the plug on the ill-fated marque in spring 1994.
Mazda will be able to compete with the German trio in 2022 by offering the CX-60 and CX-90 SUVs on an RWD platform featuring inline-six engines as well as PHEV powertrains. While some might argue that it’s too late with EVs now taking over, the Japanese automaker is investing in this area.