The new Mazda2 aims to re-take leadership of the light car segment from the Hyundai i20 in November.
“We feel it will be a top seller, and will closely rival the Hyundai i20 in terms of who retains the top spot. Hyundai has been quite aggressive in marketing the i20, but we believe that the new Mazda2 will match the i20 and other competitors in the light car segment,” Steve Maciver, public relations manager at Mazda Australia, told AutoTalk.
“For younger buyers in the segment the new improvements – especially the connectivity improvements – will be a big selling point,” he adds.
Despite the fact that Mazda2 sales are down 21% year on year, Maciver points out that this is indicative as to where the car is in the lifecycle. “The car is now seven years old – the important thing to note, however, is that it has been the highest selling light car in the country and has only recently been taken off the top spot by the Hyundai i20.
“We are just short of 9000 Mazda2 sales so far this year. We still think, given the age of the vehicle, that it is a good result.”
Despite the Mazda2 being built in three different countries, a Mazda spokesperson believes the new Mazda2 will more than match any direct competitors.
Production of the Mazda2 began today at Mazda’s Thai production facility, Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT), and is bound for Australia.
Moving forward, AAT will also produce the new Mazda2 for ASEAN countries and other markets in Oceania – and Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO), Mazda’s new plant in Mexico, will begin producing the model within 2014, consolidating a global supply system.
Mazda’s representative director, president and chief executive officer, Masamichi Kogai says: “It is a huge and challenging task to start production of a new model at three different plants around the world in such quick succession.”
AAT is the second facility to start production of the Mazda2, following Hofu Plant where production began in July of this year.
“Ultimately, in regards to the production location now moving to Thailand, we don’t think it will make a difference whether the Mazda2 is built in Mexico, Thailand or Japan, as we believe it is built to very high standards so we don’t think it will any difference in terms of sales,” says Maciver.
He notes that where the big difference lies is the fact that the Mazda2 will be a brand new car completely built from the ground up. “It is the first complete redesign for the Mazda 2 in seven years, so we do expect a significant upswing in Mazda2 sales in Australia,” Maciver says.
In terms of the last Mazda2 run-outs still in yards looking to be sold, Maciver says the situation is very much under control in terms of overstock and notes: “We are confident that the run-outs will be sold just in time before the new Mazda2 arrives at dealerships in November. The dealers know what they have in stock and we know what the customer demand is, so we are pretty comfortable with that at the moment.”
Maciver believes car dealerships will have no trouble selling the car as it will be a completely new model with new technology and safety features, which not only improves the cars performance, but makes the car much more fuel efficient. Another change will be the connectivity add-ons to the car.
The new Mazda2 comes with new improvements such as a new exterior in a new KODO design, new SKYACTIV engines, transmissions, body, and chassis. The Mazda2 also comes with MZD Connect, Mazda’s next-generation car connectivity system. Also available for the first time on Mazda’s smallest model are advanced safety features that aid the driver in recognising and responding to hazards.
Mazda will make an announcement on Australian pricing next month.
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