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Mazda CEO predicts record US sales in next 2 years

The recently appointed CEO of Mazda is apparently quite the optimist, claiming that the Japanese brand, renowned for its Zoom-Zoom driving character (and more recently its sleek, refined designs and Skyactiv efficiency), is claiming the company will record its best-ever US sales within the next two years. According to a report from Automotive News, Masamichi Kogai expects Mazda to move 400,000 of its Kodo-styled vehicles in the increasingly competitive US market by March 2016, with the recently launched Mazda3 leading the charge. "It will impacted considerably by the trend of the U.S. industry. But... it's my hope we achieve the record by that time," Kogai tells AN.
The brand is currently targeting 300,000 units by the end of this fiscal year in March 2014. Given that production and sales of the Mazda3 (and consumer awareness of the 2014 Mazda6) is still picking up steam, it isn't a stretch to imagine Mazda, which sold 240,000 vehicles from January to October of 2013, hitting its target.
Along with the overall increase in sales numbers, Kogai is expecting the independent brand to take an even larger slice of the US sales pie, claiming 2.5 percent US market share, improving from its current 1.9-percent foothold so far in 2013. "I think the upper limit may be 2.5 percent for the time being," Kogai told AN, before pointing out, "We don't want to use a lot of incentives. That is not the sales approach we aspire toward."

Mazda marks its 100th anniversary with eight retro-styled limited-edition models

Mazda is turning 100 years old in 2020, and it's commemorating the occasion by releasing eight retro-inspired limited-edition models in its home country of Japan. Some of them might be available in the United States. Cars weren't initially on the company's radar. It started life as a cork manufacturer named Toyo Kogyo, and it branched out into the transportation sector when it introduced a three-wheeled, motorcycle-based pickup called Mazda-Go in 1931. Its first car, the R360, was unveiled in 1960 as a two-door four-seater whose tiny dimensions fell in line with Japan's strict kei regulations. It's the model Mazda's celebratory cars are inspired by. The range of special-edition models includes the CX-3, the CX-30, the CX-5, the CX-8, the Mazda2, the Mazda3, the Mazda6, plus hard- and soft-topped variants of the MX-5 Miata. They all feature an edition-specific white exterior and a burgundy interior, though the Miata and the CX-30 also get a red roof. The 100th Anniversary logo, which combines Mazda's current emblem with Toyo Kogyo's, appears on the wheels and on the front headrests, among other places. White and red was one of the combinations available on upmarket versions of the R360. None of the commemorative cars receive mechanical modifications, which is just as well. Paying homage to the humble R360 (shown in our gallery) would require replacing the Miata's 181-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder with an air-cooled, 356cc v-twin rated at 16 horsepower. It would need to be mounted in the trunk, too. The full 100th Anniversary range is on sale in Japan, and it will be available through March 2021. Mazda announced availability in other markets, like England, but it hasn't revealed if it will offer its commemorative cars in the United States yet due to "the global crisis." The 500 examples of the head-turning Miata 30th Anniversary introduced in 2019 were spoken for so quickly that the company allocated 143 additional units to our market, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the newest special-edition models land in showrooms in the near future. For context, the United Kingdom will receive 100 examples of the Miata, the CX-30, and the Mazda3. The Mazda6 and the CX-5 might join the roster later on. Pricing information will be published later in 2020. Related Video:    

Mazda6 diesel delayed until April

Diesel enthusiasts waiting on the new Skyactiv-D-powered Mazda6 will have to wait a bit longer. The shapely fuel-efficient four-door has just had its North American launch pushed back to April, due to delays in emissions testing. Mazda had originally planned to launch the Mazda6 diesel before the end of this year, making the four- to five-month delay a rather serious one.
Mazda's senior vice president of US operations, Robert Davis, told Mazda employees in a letter obtained by Automotive News that, "final certification testing - the results of which are looking encouraging - is taking longer than we had initially expected." Following this letter, Mazda made an official announcement:
"The on-sale date for Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D clean-diesel has been moved to late-Spring 2014, to accommodate final emissions testing and certification. We are pleased with the ongoing development and are excited to launch this much-anticipated vehicle in North America. 2014 Mazda6 sales continue to exceed both our expectations and our production abilities, and supplies of the car are short at dealers across the U.S. More information on the SKYACTIV-D clean diesel Mazda6 will be available closer to the on-sale date."