For decades, Japanese automaker Mazda has been known for building cars that are fun to drive. Even if you discount the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the world’s best-selling sports car, the brand has still given enthusiasts cars like the Cosmos, the RX-2 & 3, the RX-7, the RX-8, the Mazdaspeed3 and the Mazdaspeed6. The sad truth of the matter is that enthusiasts are in the minority, and Mazda currently enjoys a scant two-percent global market share.
As Mazda’s CEO, Takashi Yamanouchi told Automotive News (subscription required), “In the global market, what is the significance of a player with a mere two-percent? We came to the conclusion that if we make ordinary cars for the mass market, there is no reason for us to exist.”
Yamanouchi’s ambitious goal is to grow sales by 43-percent in the U.S. market, with a target of 400,000 units by the end of the 2015 fiscal year. To do so, Mazda is relying on a wave of new product launches, as well as a repositioning of the brand to be “Japanese premium,” although that descriptor won’t be used in its marketing efforts.
Look for the new Mazda6 to take the point in reestablishing the brand. Due to hit dealers in January, the Mazda6 will rely on a mixture of styling, technology and premium materials to win the hearts and minds of buyers. Skyactiv, Mazda’s suite of eco-friendly technologies, will also play a role in the brand’s emerging image.
If you think that Mazda is targeting Lexus or even Acura with its latest move, think again: Hirotaka Kanazawa, Mazda’s global head of R&D, is quick to position the Mazda6 against German rivals, not Japanese. There’s a danger in doing so, as Suzuki tried the same thing with its Kizashi sedan. While the Mazda6 will likely be a more polished product than the Suzuki, it remains to be seen if buyers shopping for a BMW or Audi would include Mazda on that same list.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
