International – If you’ve been following news about Mazda’s upcoming SUV range based around its new rear-wheel drive architecture then it will come as no surprise to you that the Japanese carmaker, once known for producing hardy compact cars like the 323, is aiming to reposition itself as a luxury brand.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Mazda is aiming to emulate the German premium brands. In fact, according to recent words by the company’s UK boss Jeremy Thomson, it appears that the company wants to forge its own niche in the market.
In a recent interview with Autocar, Thomson said that Mazda knows better than to try beat the Germans at their own game.
“Our aspirations are to become a credible alternative to the traditional mainstream premium and that means non-German. We’re not looking to mimic German premium because that’s very well catered for with the existing incumbents and probably impossible to beat them at their own game,” the Managing Director told Autocar.
“But we do strongly feel that there is a place for a Japanese premium and that means defining what we mean by Japanese premium and that will take some time to deliver.
It doesn’t seem like the company will be aiming directly at Lexus either.
“At the moment, of course, Lexus operates in that area and is about a third the size of Mazda in sales terms. We’re trying to find a slightly different space from where they sit today,” Thomson said.
He added that he felt the company had a unique approach to engines and the overall driving experience.
The first premium model to be launched will be the new Mazda CX-60, which makes its global debut on 8 March. It will be available as a plug-in hybrid, with a system output of over 223kW, Mazda has confirmed.
The new rear-wheel drive architecture will spawn three other premium SUV products in the new future, with the CX-60 being joined by the CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90. Last we heard all four of these were under consideration for South Africa.
Engines will differ depending on the region, with Europe primarily getting plug-in hybrid powertrains that pair with four-cylinder petrol motors. Some markets will get beefier straight-six turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, featuring 48V mild hybrid technology.
Further down the line, Mazda is also likely to introduce a sedan built around the new RWD architecture and there’s also word of a new range of fully-electric vehicles debuting on a dedicated EV platform from mid-decade onwards.
IOL Motoring
Keyword: Mazda to move upmarket but won’t emulate the Germans, UK boss says