Is there room in Mazda’s European line-up for a second SUV? Speaking at the launch over here of the first, the CX-7, the Japanese firm’s top executives were happy to ponder the issue.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The car in question would be the larger CX-9, visually similar to its smaller sibling but capable of seating seven and already on sale in the USA and reportedly also heading for Australia.
Phil Waring, vice-president of sales for Mazda Motor Europe, said part of the problem in making such a decision was lack of clarity on where the CO2 debate was heading.
He said: “Once we know the answer to that we can decide what to do. The body of opinion is that the CX-9 is too big for western Europe. If I had to cast my stone in the water today I would ask for it in Russia and Ukraine, and say no thanks for Western Europe.”
Waring said he would have to commit to selling a certain number of CX-9s to offset the engineering costs. He said he was unlikely to do that when there was still uncertainly over the CO2 issue.
The company is also constrained by production issues; its factories can currently build 1.3m cars a year and they’re all running at full capacity.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData“Given the choice, I wouldn’t take CX-9. I would choose more B-car production [the soon-to-be-launched redesigned Mazda 2] for western Europe because I can sell more of those,” said Waring.
But he added: “But my view isn’t necessarily the one that makes the decision.”
The CX-7 will initially be available in Europe only with a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission to, Mazda said, fill a niche of “an SUV with sports car ability.”
Waring said: “The emphasis is on performance but we will look at the development of this market segment to see if there is a demand for diesel. Currently we have just planned for petrol engines.” [Mazda has since announced it will add 2.2-litre diesel versions with 18 months – ed]
Can an SUV be a sports car as well? “I thing the CX-7 proves that it can,” he added. “The job for the marketing team is to make sure people are aware of its capabilities. It has all the attributes of an all-wheel-drive SUV as well as the performance and handling of a sports car.”
