Mazda5 Space Wagon to be launched at 2004 Paris Motor Show

[Soya]

I've come to appreciate sliding doors, esp with respect to 'family' cars like MPVs. It means easy access in tight spaces, and for other cars, no dings from over-enthusiastic children

sounds like a toyota hiace is right up yr alley. TRD version of course......

[Quikfire]

think now abt $80k+ from $89k+ last year...

[Seansene]

sounds like a toyota hiace is right up yr alley.

 

With leafsprings? Um... no thanks

[Soya]

talking abt vans, dunno if the upcoming toyota innova aka indon kijang is gonna hv leafsprings too since it's based on the hiace (or liteace?).

[Soya]

read that the Mz5 gonna use the same 2.0L engine as the M6. sheesh.......

[Luckcent]

You know the japs lah, always using the same thing then called it another name.

[Soya]

that engine is onli barely adequate for the M6, dunno how it's gonna move the Mz5.

[Luckcent]

It will move but at the expense of FC mah.......

[Soya]

u mean move very slowly.....

[Luckcent]

How slow is slowly..... ?

[Mtoh]

Stung by a lack of public awareness about its revamped and expanded product lineup, Mazda Motor Corp. is launching a major advertising push with tonight's telecast of the opening ceremonies for the summer Olympics.

 

A pair of Mazda ads will kick off a continuing campaign highlighting the Japanese brand's full lineup of 10 cars and trucks.

 

Recent research showed the public's familiarity with Mazda products is still limited, said Eric Johnston, marketing director of Mazda's North American operations. In some cases, consumer awareness of the brand is limited to the 626 sedan and RX7 sports coupe -- both of which have been discontinued.

 

Mazda wants to dispel any notion that it is a niche vehicle maker, even though its primary brand attribute -- sportiness -- is associated with small volume segments such as sports coupes and roadsters.

 

The campaign, which will also feature print ads, suggests every Mazda vehicle offers the brand's trademark �Zoom-

 

Zoom� performance.

 

�Since the launch of the Zoom-Zoom philosophy in the summer of 2000, Mazda has been building toward a campaign of this magnitude,� said Robert Davis, Mazda North America's senior vice president of marketing and product development.

 

Mazda's U.S. sales have jumped 12.6 percent this year.

 

To keep building sales and awareness, the company is expected to expand the use of alpha-numeric names for future models, Johnston said.

 

Mazda has already secured the rights to use names such as Mazda1, Mazda2 and Mazda5.

 

If the brand has a weak point, it's quality, said Erich Merkle, senior analyst with the automotive consulting firm IRN Inc.

 

�Mazda really seems to put the complete package together in terms of handling, chassis dynamics, and braking and ample power,� Merkle said. �Mazda does not carry the level of quality as Toyota and Honda.�

 

In the most recent initial quality study by J.D. Power and Associates, Mazda ranked 34th out of 38 brands rated. Honda and Toyota ranked fourth and ninth, respectively.

 

Mazda's lineup averaged 1.57 problems per vehicle -- well below the industry average of 1.19 problems per vehicles.