Mazda records tremendous sales growth and moves to the premium segment

Mazda sold up to 52.4% in Poland in 2023. More cars than in the previous year. The popularity rating of individual models contains some surprises. The Polish representative office of Mazda starts the new year with a new director, a new financial partner, a record order bank and the promise of a very interesting premiere.

Mazda Motor Poland can consider the past year to be a very successful year. In Poland, up to 11,055 new Mazda vehicles were registered in 2023 (data: SMR), which is 3,800 units more than in 2022. While the overall market grew by 13.2 percent, Mazda recorded as much as 52.4 percent. Increase sales year on year.

The CX-60 made a great debut, competing in a segment Mazda hadn't been in since the CX-9. The distribution of the PHEV and diesel versions was about 50:50 percent, but the latter variant arrived in showrooms a few months after the hybrid. Therefore, the year 2024 may end with the combustion version prevailing. In contrast, of the 1,343 Mazda 3s sold, half were sedans, which is very rare in the compact car segment.

2023 was practically the last year for Mazda6 sales – with just over 100 units remaining in stock. Although it is one of the brand's most popular models, Mazda unfortunately is not planning a successor yet. Production of the Mazda 2 has already been discontinued, but production of the modern Mazda 2 Hybrid, i.e. the Toyota Yaris with the changed badge, will begin at the end of this January.

In 2024, the updated MX-5 will also enter showrooms. The popular roadster will have a slightly modified nose and lights, including: new multimedia and a special track mode for the differential mechanism.

The CX-80's debut promises to be particularly interesting. It will be a large SUV, offering three rows of seating and luxury equipment, and a potential rival to the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, and perhaps even models from premium brands. When exactly will it appear in theaters? Mazda currently answers: “Faster than you expect.” Well, let's give it time until the holiday.

The CX-60 is really the model that attracts most customers from other brands, especially the premium segment, to Mazda. This is the direction Mazda plans to head in the coming years. In 2030, it wants to call itself a premium brand and sell 200,000 units in Europe. cars per year, of which in Poland > 10 thousand Moreover, Mazda expects growth to reach 70 percent by 2030. The brand's sales in Europe will be electric models.

But until then, Mazda is focusing on a “multi-solution” strategy, meaning it intends to continue offering a wide range of engines, and thus will not move away from combustion engines. “We are taking more precise steps to ensure that the range does not meet customer expectations,” said Simon Soltysek, Public Relations Director of Mazda Motor Poland during the New Year conference.

For the years 2022-2027, the Japanese announced the launch of five new hybrid cars, five plug-in hybrid cars, and three electric models. Work is currently underway on a new scalable EV-Skyactiv platform dedicated to electric models. We should see the first car using this architecture on the market in 2027. If the Mazda 6 returns, it will likely be in electric form as soon as possible.

As of January 1 of this year, Mazda's Polish branch has a new managing director. Maciej Hochman has been associated with the company since 2008 and was one of the first employees at the Mazda representative office in Poland. He replaces Łukasz Paździor in this position, who after 12 years as President of Mazda Motor Poland has been promoted to Managing Director Selected Mazda market range. It is quite an extraordinary creativity, very culturally and geographically diverse. This organization includes 20 markets from Central Europe and the Balkans, in addition to Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal and Ireland. The expertise of Mazda's Polish subsidiary employees is also recognized and used at Mazda's European headquarters, where six people who previously worked with Mazda Motor Poland are currently working. An example comes from the above: For many years, the Vice President of Mazda Motor Europe responsible for sales and customer service was the Polish manager Wojciech Halarewicz.

At the beginning of the year, Credit Agricole Auto Bank and its company Drivalia Lease took over as Mazda's leading bank finance and new car sales agents. Previously, Mazda cooperated with the Santander Group in this regard. The importer promises that thanks to the new products it will be able to offer a more competitive rental and loan offer to customers, with easier and faster operations. Particular emphasis will be placed on long-term rental offers, which are becoming increasingly popular in Poland.