Niche models can be made, but they cannot be marginalized by the market, and Mazda is moving towards marginalization step by step.
Mazda's total sales in 2021 were 183,953 units, down 14.27% year-on-year, of which December sales were 14,590 units, down 36.12% year-on-year, and since March, Mazda has fallen for nine consecutive years. After losing the FAW Mazda channel, the "slope foot" Mazda is obviously difficult to support.
Looking at Mazda's sales in 2021, only January sales reached 20,000 vehicles, and in 2020, there are more than 20,000 vehicles in each month of 2020, the only two months of positive growth in the whole year, but also because the base is relatively low due to the impact of the epidemic in the same period. Mazda's decline, in addition to the product itself, the impact of the merger news is also immeasurable.
In recent years, the news about the merger of Changan Mazda and FAW Mazda has never stopped, and there have been "merger" news since 2019. In December 2020, a screenshot of "FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda confirmed a merger" began to circulate. As a result, sales have been declining since January 2021.
Mazda's official website data shows that Mazda sold 211,013 units in 2014, 235,261 units in 2015, 285,653 units in 2016, 309,407 units in 2017, and completed its annual sales of 300,000 units for the first time, which is also a turning point for Mazda; sales in 2018 were 272,322 units, down 12% year-on-year, sales in 2019 were 227,750 units, and sales in 2020 were 214,574 units. Total sales in 2021 are less than 200,000, to just 183,953 units, falling to the level of seven years ago.
From the perspective of the main sales model, Mazda has three models, the Axela, CX-5, CX-30, and the Atez and CX-4 have disappeared. Onxella sold 90,667 vehicles in the whole year, accounting for 49.28% of sales, contributing half of Mazda's sales; the total sales of CX-5s were 26,125 units, accounting for 14.25 units; and the total sales of CX-30 were 17,297 units, accounting for 9.4% of sales. Together, the three models contributed more than 70% of sales.
From the perspective of sales of various models, Mazda has no main sales model to enter the mainstream market, The Axela, as the highest-selling model, has an average monthly sales of about 8,000 vehicles, the average monthly sales of the CX-5 is about 2,000 vehicles, and the average monthly sales of the CX-30 are only more than 1,000 vehicles, all of which are on the verge of market segmentation. As a car brand, it can be niche but cannot be ignored. Once it goes from niche to the edge, this is Mazda's most dangerous signal.
Corresponding to the poor market performance, dealers' profitability is worrying and they are facing great pressure on the market channel side. It is understood that in the past two years, the news of Changan Mazda dealers withdrawing from the network has been frequently reported. In April 2020, changan Mazda dealer network numbered 432, as of the end of May 2021, this number has dropped to 257, a 40% shrinkage in one year. After the integration of the two horses, Changan Mazda will integrate Mazda's dealer network in China to create a "441 channel system" - that is, 400 4S stores carrying 400,000 sales, with a single store sales capacity of 1,000 units.
Integration channels are not a day's work, product single replacement is slow, new energy vehicles are absent, under this strategy it is difficult to attract powerful dealers to join. From 2022 to 2025, Mazda plans to introduce models equipped with the "Chuangchi Blue Sky Diversification and Scalable Architecture" sequentially, and will launch five hybrid models, five plug-in hybrid models, and three pure electric models. Between 2025 and 2030, Mazda will continue to launch a number of models equipped with the "Chuangchi Blue Sky Electrification Dedicated Scalable Architecture" technology.