Mazda Australia expects another record sales year in 2017, with the market’s number-two brand projecting it will move about 119,000 units.
This figure would give the company market share of around 10 per cent, and supplant the all-time full importer record it set last year of 118,217 units.
Mazda’s strong sales goal will be supported by the rollout of significant new product such as the just-launched, second-generation CX-5 crossover that is expected to remain Australia’s number one SUV, plus mid-cycle updates for the Mazda 2 (this week) and CX-3 (in May).
The Japanese brand — which has an unusually strong foothold in Australia compared to most other markets globally — is off to a strong start in 2017, belying an industry-wide sales drop of 2 per cent to be tracking even, at 30,462 units to the end of March, growing its market share to 10.9 per cent.
This makes it the clear number two behind Toyota (48,514, 17.4 per cent share), well ahead of Hyundai on 8 per cent, Holden on 7.2 per cent, Ford and Mitsubishi on 6.6 per cent, and Nissan on 5.4 per cent.
Doing much of the heavy lifting is the new CX-9, which is performing “above expectations” with 2314 units over Q1, almost on a par with the Toyota Kluger.
This more than offsets declines on the Mazda 2, Mazda 3 and Mazda 6, all of which are suffering from the market-wide fall in passenger car sales. The BT-50 (3531) and CX-3 (4555) are tracking about even, while the MX-5 is avoiding major second-year sports-car blues thanks to the still-new RF hardtop.
Despite the market-wide drop of 2.1 per cent so far in 2017, Mazda Australia believes the market will stabilise thanks to a strong second half and hit a new record level of 1.19 million annual sales.
Recently appointed Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi told us this morning that the company foresaw a slight up-kick in demand over the second half, based on key economic data, forecasts and other drivers such as key new product from multiple brands.
Mazda Australia’s double-digit market share is among the highest in the world, and its model mix is certainly the richest.
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