Category: Mazda

Mazda has reported a 62 percent drop in profit in the second quarter of 2007, compared to the same period in 2006. The company reported a profit that has slipped to £10.3m/€15.3m/$20.8m, down from £27.4m/€40.7m/$55.6m. The drop in profits is due to foreign exchange rates and research investments.

The gloomy Japanese car market and an expected new Demio/2 model combine to bring about a 7 percent drop in Japan. The next quarter will be better thanks to the new Demio and the Japanese trend towards favouring smaller cars in recent years. Although the U.S. reported a 6 percent increase, the second part of the year may be more difficult due to the next Mazda 6, set to be launched at the next Frankfurt Motor Show but not sold before the end of the year.

Mazda expects to report a record profit and plans to sell 4 percent more cars globally for this fiscal year ending in March 2008.

Here is the first interior shot of the next generation Mazda 6, due to be unveiled at the next Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The picture reveals the giant speedometer and rev counter, seemingly setting up the future Mazda sedan as competition for the Alfa Romeo 159. The central console is similar to that found in the SUV CX-7. However, while the CX-7 is based on the CD2 platform, the next Mazda 6 will be the first car to be based on the CD3 2 platform. The second generation will be bigger than the current one, providing a roomier interior and moving the Mazda 6 upmarket. Let’s hope the new saloon will not gain as much weight as the 159 did. On this front, Mazda’s efforts to reduce weight on the new Mazda 2/Demio are encouraging.

The top engine will be the V6, taken from the CX-9, which produces 260bhp/263hp and 249ftlb/339Nm. This will help the car to compete with the Italian saloons as well as Mazda’s German competitors. According to insiders, the 4 cylinder 2.3l engine will get a power boost, jumping from 163bhp to 180bhp.

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Source: Winding Road

MPS is for Mazda what AMG is for Mercedes: a label for sporty models. It is thus no surprise that Mazda engineers are currently working on a Mazda 2 MPS. The current biggest engine, 1.5 litres, will be replaced by a turbocharged 2 litre. The power output will be 230 bhp and torque will reach 231 lb-ft.

Being sold from today in Japan, the carmaker has big expectations for its new baby that will share the global platform B2e with the next Ford Fiesta. It expects to sell 130,000 cars per year, of which 60,000 wil be sold in Japan.

The cumulative sales for the previous model launched in 1996 and redesigned in 2002 reached 1.04 million units.

Some of us expected it for the Chicago motorshow but the Mazda 6 successor will be revealed at the next Frankfurt motorshow in September. With the new model, Mazda will pursue its strategy: make zoom zoom cars. But following the example of Alfa Romeo with its 159, the next Mazda 6 should be more upmarket thanks to its new platform CD3 2 that is bigger than the current one according to insiders.

The next Mazda 6 will also get a new V6 engine. The last time it got a V6 engine was in 1993 with the KL 2.5 litres engine. Smoother than sporty, it had a dull output of 165 bhp. This time, the next 6 will inherit the Ford V6 Duratec 35. With its cubic capacity of 3.5 litres, it has more power than the most powerful model, the MPS, in the current range. Let us hope that Mazda engineers have the good idea to add a turbo. The V6 engine could produce more than 350 bhp!

Mazda’s new MAV is now available in the UK. This time, the Hiroshima-based carmaker hopes more than a succès d’estime. Mazda has gathered all the components to succeed in this range, having for example stylishly designed the body and fitted it with 2 sliding doors, which is a one of a kind feature on a MAV.

2 petrol engines, a 1.8 and a 2.0 litres giving respectively 115 and 145b^hp as well as a 2.0 litres diesel engine, developing either 110 or 143bhp, are available. Strangely enough, the latter is not provided by Ford, which owns 50% of Mazda.

Prices start at a competitive £14,097 for the 1.8 TS, the most expensive version being the 2.0 Sport Diesel (143bhp), sold £17,900.

However, comfort is another key element for success, and the last 3 and 6 show this is not Mazda’s forte…