[LeeBeckstar]

Mazda, The Zoom-Zoom Company, Could Use a Second Zoom

"Our hopes are pinned on Mazda, a company that seems to know exactly what we want."

Car and Driver weighs in about the future of Mazda:

Mazda Has Been Shrewd, But It's Also Been Lucky ? Column ? Car and Driver

 

[VANDAL]

Mazda has lots of "bread and butter" vehicles to keep itself afloat; the Mazda 3 will always be the go-to in the compact-economy segment. Especially the new redesign, both ext and interior, (by far) trumps competition like Civics, Corollas and imho Elantras.

The CX5 has been hugely successful, at least from what I observe in the Canadian market - a very affordable and well sized SUV with strikingly good looks.

And then there are the smaller volume cars like our CX3, MX5 and Mazda 2, which constantly get nothing but good reviews when compared to cars of the same class - a true contender for anyone in the market for these vehicles. I genuinely could not name a model from Mazda's line up that is a flop, which is rare for automakers in 2016.

As long as Mazda maintains its moda operandi as the fun-to-drive element coupled with quality products (evident in our CX-3s) I don't anticipate Mazda to have any problems in the long-run. The designers did a fantastic job with the KODO, just never bring back the smiley face. Like, ever.

 

[OneLyveWyre]

Vandal... I concur with everything you stated. The only thing that scares me is Mazda has made some poor historical decisions. Can you imagine the executives sitting in the board room when the head of exterior design come in and proposes a new front end conceptual style.... the smiley face. The executives like it so much they approve putting the smiley face on every model.

That poor historical decision example is what scares me about Mazda. Sometimes I ask myself... what could they have been thinking?

 

[greaseman85]

Vandal... I concur with everything you stated. The only thing that scares me is Mazda has made some poor historical decisions. Can you imagine the executives sitting in the board room when the head of exterior design come in and proposes a new front end conceptual style.... the smiley face. The executives like it so much they approve putting the smiley face on every model.

That poor historical decision example is what scares me about Mazda. Sometimes I ask myself... what could they have been thinking?

Agreed, there's one other things I would add that scares me for their future, that is the lack of a connected infotainment system (at least in the North American market). It may not seem like a big deal, but to me and I'm sure many potential buyers in the near future it is important. Mazda's infotainment system is now a joke compared to their competitors. Mazda has gone backward in this regard because they used to offer a service, now they don't. A few years ago the infotainment system was lauded as some amazing software that was designed with the goal of being future proof, but it seems like it is now stuck in the past while competitors have moved forward and even implemented new exciting technology.

 

[VANDAL]

Agreed, there's one other things I would add that scares me for their future, that is the lack of a connected infotainment system (at least in the North American market). It may not seem like a big deal, but to me and I'm sure many potential buyers in the near future it is important. Mazda's infotainment system is now a joke compared to their competitors. Mazda has gone backward in this regard because they used to offer a service, now they don't. A few years ago the infotainment system was lauded as some amazing software that was designed with the goal of being future proof, but it seems like it is now stuck in the past while competitors have moved forward and even implemented new exciting technology.

Not disagreeing with you in any way. Can you list some examples of features on other infotainment systems that are innovative? I'm the type of driver that prefers a car's handling / performance over fancy stuff like cool interior "gadgets" - but curious to know what's out there.

 

[greaseman85]

Live information (traffic, gas prices, movies/concerts, etc.) is very useful in my opinion. Like I said it may not be important car enthusiasts, but having those features doesn't hurt. If anything having it and touting it helps pull more "casual" customers towards the company. The average driver may not care much for how well the car drives, but they'll go "wow technology!" when they see these features. Mazda having the best handling and most fun to drive non-premium cars hasn't made them a huge company, so it is in their interest to stay at the forefront of these technological advancements and offer features that the vanilla companies like Honda or Toyota may not offer.

 

[VANDAL]

Let's take a moment to discuss what new models Mazda can bring to he table to rejuvenate the ZOOM

1) Successor to the RX8 - Whether rotary or not, Mazda currently lacks a proper coupe in it's line-up. Whilst volume for a RWD sports car is not high, it injects excitement into the brand, like what the FR-S did for Toyota.

2) Redesign Mazda 2 - The Mazda 2 has been dropped (currently) - losing out to its competitors such as the Honda Fit. I can see Mazda recreating this model with a more upscale feel to it, just how they did with our CX3 in terms of styling and overall equality.

3) MazdaSpeed 3 / 6 - The exit of the MazdaSpeed 3 & 6 was quite a disappointment to the enthusiast community. Whilst the MS6 was not overly popular in Canada, it fared very well in Asia. Give the next Speed6 with a performance-oriented AWD system, coupled with boost, it could give WRX / STI a serious run for its money. High-performance sedans at an affordable price is not too apparent in the market. I am sure a lot of speed-loving family men would jump on this.

Same goes with the Speed3 - hot hatches are always in demand. With Honda brigning the Euro-DM / JDM Civic type R to US, Mazda stands to compete in this segment with a MazdaSpeed 3 hatch.