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Mazda's first profit in five years in sight due to weak yen

Automotive News reports Mazda is set to turn a profit for the first time in five years. The automaker is more dependent on exports from Japan than other automakers based in that country, and as a result, it has long suffered at the hands of a strong yen. But the currency has declined in value by some 16 percent over the past six months and Mazda's shares have tripled in value to their highest level since 2008. Contrast this situation to a year ago when Mazda printed 1.22 billion new shares to raise cash. The move was equivalent to 70 percent of the company's then-outstanding stock, and values tumbled to record lows as a result.
Now that the yen has fallen to a value of around 96 per dollar, Mazda operations in the US are more profitable and the company now projects it will earn around $279 million for the next fiscal year. Automotive News says a one yen change against the dollar can have a 9.1 percent impact on Mazda operating profit compared to 4.7 percent at Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries or 3.1 percent at Toyota. Those automakers better insulate themselves from currency fluctuations with overseas manufacturing facilities.

Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top Consumer Reports Brand Report Cards

A revised methodology in devising its annual Car Brand Report Cards has seen Consumer Reports award Lexus its top overall ranking for 2013. For the first time ever, the institute broke out individual brands from their larger corporate umbrellas, meaning car makers like Lexus and Scion were judged independently from parent company Toyota. That strategy worked out well for Lexus, as the luxury brand earned a top report card score of 79 for the 2013 model year.
The institute has recommended every one of the Lexus models it has tested to date, and said that the company's products won out thanks to "a foundation of plush and very reliable vehicles."
Meanwhile, Mazda and Subaru tied for the second-highest scoring report cars, with scores of 76. Subaru earned praised for sporting models like the BRZ, which CR testers apparently had a lot of fun driving (naturally), while the Mazda products were lauded for their blend of practicality, sportiness and efficiency. Both of the Japanese brands offered good handling, fuel economy and versatility, said Consumer Reports.

Refreshed 2017 Mazda 3 and 6 get G-Vectoring Control

Back in June, we told you about Mazda's G-Vectoring Control system, which is an additional layer of unobtrusive cornering assistance to help maintain traction at the limits of adhesion. It's subtle to the point of being hard for a human being to detect, even a Mazda engineer, as we found out driving a G-VC equipped Mazda 6 around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. We knew then that the G-VC system would make it to the 2017 Mazda 3 and 6, but now all the details of both mildly refreshed cars are available. Let's start with the Mazda 3, which has a few more changes than its larger stablemate. As is standard industry practice, a mild facelift includes available LED headlights and taillights, a new grille, and a monochrome rear bumper. Inside, the slightly recontoured steering wheel now has available heating and the manual handbrake has been replaced by an electronic one. Fans of handbrake turns will frown, but those handles take up an immense amount of room (relatively speaking) inside the center console. The redesigned center storage bin takes better advantage of that newly freed-up space. Lastly, Mazda claims the 3 is quieter thanks to improved insulation and weatherstripping. The Mazda 6 was just refreshed last year, so the list of changes is even shorter. The larger sedan benefits from similar sound-reducing tweaks as the 3, and the entry-level 6 with a manual transmission now comes with the Mazda Connect infotainment system, a real upgrade from the older non-touchscreen system. One thing that both share is an available full color head-up display, which replaces a functional but ancient-looking monochrome unit. If you've been in a Mazda currently on sale with this old-looking system, you'll really appreciate the way this new one looks. We can't wait to try it out. Both new Mazdas go on sale in September. Pricing isn't available at this time. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda3 Unveiling View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda6 Unveiling View 14 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda3 View 36 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda 6 View 33 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Mazda Hatchback Sedan mazda 3