Mazda once wrote in the book "The Soul of Mazda Design": As long as 2% of consumers in the world approve of Mazda cars, it is enough. This 2% figure doesn't look like much, but multiplying it by total global car sales is also a good sales result, with 110 million users, which is already a good achievement for Mazda.
At present, it is estimated that Mazda does not even dare to mention the target of 1%. In fiscal 2021 (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021), it sold only 1.287 million units worldwide. Today, in the largest market, China, sales are also declining.
However, in the past two years, Mazda has also begun to save itself, last year in the country merged FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda, and plans to bring 5 cross-border SUV models, of which the new CX-60 and CX-90 are still in mass production this year, so mazda's self-help road, how much hope is there for success?
Sales in the domestic market are sluggish, but I don't want to give up
Earlier, Mazda has announced its results in the Chinese market in 2021, with only 183,953 units, which is less than the sales volume of a model of mainstream Japanese brands. In this report card, Unncella contributed half, with cumulative sales of 90,667 units in 2021, followed by 26,125 units of the CX-5 and 17,297 units of the CX-30. The results of the three main models were very low.
For a long time, Mazda's sales in China have not been high, and there are many reasons for this result, such as fewer model layouts, fewer service outlets, and more vehicle quality problems, which can be summarized as Mazda's lack of seriousness in the Chinese market.
In terms of model layout, Mazda's attitude has been relatively sluggish, before the merger of FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda, Mazda launched not many new cars, a total of 7 models on sale, in contrast to the japanese brand Toyota and Honda in China joint venture, a brand in the number of models on sale has more than 7 models, coupled with Mazda's model update speed is slow, in the long run, Mazda is gradually forgotten by consumers, domestic consumers buy cars are also more inclined to the brand of the car companies with a larger voice. After the merger of FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda, no new models have been brought so far, and it is normal that sales in 2021 will be sluggish.
As for the reason for the slow speed of model updates, Mazda once gave the reason to save money to develop a new generation of model architecture, so in the past two years, only the annual model and small modification models have been launched. Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and other head car companies are actively pushing new cars, one retreat and one advance, and the final result has been clear, and Mazda's market share continues to decline.
Mazda also has a fatal strategy in the domestic market is to stick to value marketing, and the terminal price of the model is very strong. Indeed, this practice can maintain the brand image and status well, while also maintaining user loyalty to the brand, but it is difficult to get the favor of other consumers, because other brands have adopted the price-for-volume strategy, and consumers can buy models with better experience at a lower cost.
In the view of the car buyer, Mazda's model preferential range is less, more because the brand system is too weak, the speed of research and development of new models is too slow, if the profit margin of the model sold is large, there is no new model to make up for Mazda's loss, and the final result is also a loss. And the price is firm, but also to ensure that each car has enough profits.
In general, the reasons that cause Mazda to go into the abyss step by step in the Chinese market are mainly due to the niche brand positioning, single marketing strategy, and slow model update speed. However, the Chinese market is the largest sales volume for Mazda, and in fiscal 2021, it also achieved a 7.8% year-on-year sales increase, which is the highest growth rate in the world. In this case, Mazda does not want to give up the Chinese market.
Self-help strategies are difficult to change stubborn nature
The Chinese market is very important to Mazda, and Mazda has also saved the sales performance of the Chinese market through a series of adjustments, but from the perspective of Mazda's strategic planning, the success rate of the rescue plan is not high.
Mazda's biggest change in the Chinese market is the merger of FAW Mazda into Changan Mazda, and this adjustment will strengthen the strength of Changan Mazda, enrich the product line layout, and further converge the dealer network, which can make Mazda's power point more focused.
Not only that, Mazda has also stepped up its new car layout, planning to launch a total of five crossover SUV models from 2022 to 2023, including the CX-50, CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90, of which the new CX-60 is expected to start mass production in January 2022, and the new CX-90 with higher positioning is expected to be mass-produced by the end of 2022, which is a replacement model of the Mazda CX-9. Among the five new cars, in addition to the new CX-60 and the new CX-50, other models are likely to be introduced to the domestic market.
Obviously, under these strategic layouts, Mazda's service channels and product matrix are more perfect, but in the face of competitors who have long been far ahead, Mazda is still struggling. First of all, Mazda's layout of the model is relatively single, and its SUV models have not been popular in China, even if the launch of a new SUV may not be recognized by a large number of users.
Then there are the new energy models that Mazda does not have to play. Mazda said it will introduce electrified powertrain options for four SUVs: CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90. However, Mazda's approach is to introduce a plug-in hybrid model that mainly combines a inline four-cylinder fuel engine with an electric drive, and to launch a model equipped with a new generation of inline six-cylinder engine SKYACTIV-X and a inline six-cylinder diesel engine SKYACTIV-D, as well as the addition of a 48V hybrid system. In simple terms, Mazda only brought oil-to-electric models.
Compared with the new energy vehicle of the exclusive platform, there are more disadvantages, the driving texture is poor, and the safety is not necessarily reliable, so when other car companies vigorously develop pure electric vehicles on the exclusive platform, Mazda's oil-to-electric models will be snubbed like fuel vehicles. Mazda plans to launch a model product for the EV-specific platform around 2025. However, judging by Mazda's deteriorating sales volume and the highly competitive market environment, whether Mazda can smoothly reach 2025 is still a question.
It can be seen that although the automotive industry has entered the era of the new four modernizations, Mazda is still a persistent pursuit of internal combustion engine technology, while the pace of research and development of new energy technology and intelligent technology is still very slow, which runs counter to the development trend of the automobile market and is not conducive to Mazda's higher market share.
The auto market is in a period of change, and car companies that are difficult to adapt to will miss out on opportunities, and Mazda has already tasted hardships in previous years. Now Mazda has also made a series of strategic adjustments, merging brands in the Chinese market, while also increasing the development of new models in the global market, which is a good thing.
But even so, Mazda's stubborn gene has not changed, still drilling deep into engine technology, but more in line with the development of the market electric technology and intelligent technology has no great achievements, the launch of new energy vehicles in the current automotive market can be said to be backward products, which is not conducive to Mazda to save market sales, it is more difficult to help the brand upwards.