Tough Year
Mazda is one of the automakers that are most affected by the volatile automotive year; its sales have dropped to a low point, which people who make decisions at the brand are concerned. After years of succeeding by pushing new upmarket models that are geared more towards enthusiasts, the current market has largely turned away from the brand’s SUVs.
While Mazda continues to lead in terms of safety, there are other aspects where buyers aren’t convinced. This has led to the brand reconsidering its current offerings and announcing some changes.
Mazda
Considerable Changes
It has come to light through various reports that Mazda is planning to upgrade and refresh its whole SUV lineup. The brand has acknowledged that it needs to grow its sales, with President and CEO Masahiro Moro quoted in a report by Chuguko Shimbun as saying that these new changes to the SUV lineup will be “on a scale unprecedented to date.” Furthermore, Moro also said that the changes will encompass the exterior, interior, and crucially the powertrain.
Moro’s confidence is also high, saying that the upgrades will take time, but in the end, people will see the new products as Mazda’s flagships once rolled out. With a focus on the Large Platform vehicles, we can expect that the updates will be applied to the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90. No timeline has been revealed just yet, but we can imagine that the brand is already working on them.
Mazda
Numbers Don’t Lie
The rethink is warranted considering Mazda fell short of its 2025 fiscal year sales targets. Reportedly, the brand was going for a global sales target of 200,000 units for the SUVs, but was only able to sell 150,637. This matters especially in the U.S., where the brand sells more than half of its total Large Platform vehicles. This was echoed by Mazda CFO Jeff Guyton, who said that it’s important to improve sales numbers in America.
Apart from the major changes set to be developed for the SUVs, Mazda already has a strategy in place that will focus on pushing the safety aspect of its cars in order to entice buyers. Hopefully that’ll be enough to help move its SUVs while the upgraded models are being developed.
Mazda
