Mazda

Partial Skyactiv Tech Debuts On 2012 Mazda3

By Paul Seredynski October 27, 2011

Long a player in the C-Class segment, the Mazda3 makes up nearly half of all Mazda North American Operations’ U.S. sales. So important is the Mazda3, the company pulled forward the debut of its new Skyactiv fuel-saving technologies to make the 2012 Mazda3 a viable player in the compact-car segment’s new 40-mpg marketing wars. Mazda recently previewed its refreshed 2012 Mazda3 in Los Angeles, which sports a partial application of Skyactiv. Now on par in the class with its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highway fuel-economy rating of 40 miles per gallon, the 2012 Mazda3 with Skyactiv has kept its more

Mazda Prices Skyactiv-Powered Mazda3

By Danny King October 11, 2011

Mazda cut the price of the 2012 Mazda3, the first version of the Japanese automaker's best-selling model to be powered by the more fuel-efficient Skyactiv direct-injection engine. The 2012 Mazda3 will have a base price of $15,200, down $600 from 2011. Mazda is looking to continue its strong sales momentum by cutting the price while boosting the fuel economy for its most popular U.S. model. more

Mazda Convinced It Must Strip Down Next-Gen Miata

By AutoObserver Staff June 13, 2011

According to a senior insider, Mazda Motor Corp. engineers have been tasked with cutting no less than 720 pounds from the near 2,500-pound curb weight of today’s MX-5 Miata in a quest to build a car much closer in character to the 1989 original. It’s a strategic move that Mazda may see as vital to the continued existence of history’s best-selling 2-seat roadster, but also signals a larger need for revitalized thinking in the sportscar market, where popularity has waned and sales have plummeted in the past half decade. more

Next Midsize Mazda Won't Be U.S. Built

By Bill Visnic June 6, 2011

After news reports from Japan late last week said Mazda Motor Corp. would discontinue production of its Mazda6 midsize sedan in the U.S., the company confirmed today that the next generation of the Mazda6 will be built at its plant in Hofu, Japan – leaving open the possibility that Mazda will pull out entirely from its 50-50 joint-venture assembly plant with Ford Motor Co. at Auto Alliance International (AAI) in Flat Rock, MI. more

2012 Mazda5: Softened Before C-Max Boost

By Paul Seredynski March 5, 2011

Mazda has been going it alone since model-year 2006 with its mini-minivan Mazda5. It will remain a party of one until the Ford C-Max arrives later this year. In the face of that new competition, Mazda has polished and softened its versatile 2012 Mazda5 "space wagon" (there was no 2011 model) and welcomes Ford, which will certainly bring more attention to the segment. “We own the segment,” said Mazda North America’s Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Product Development & Quality, "and it’s close to the MX-5 [Miata] because it’s its own segment. It... had a few competitors when we more

Ford Pulls Almost All Remaining Mazda Ownership

By Bill Visnic November 18, 2010

On a day when crosstown rival General Motors Co. dominated the news with its return to public ownership after a massive government bailout, Ford Motor Co. quietly backed away almost completely from longtime partner Mazda Motor Corp. by announcing the company is selling almost all of its remaining stake in the Japanese maker of the expressive cars such as the renowned MX-5 Miata roadster. Ford announced it is reducing its stake in Mazda from 11 percent to 3.5 percent, with the transaction expected to be complete by the end of this week. The move culminates a gradual withdrawal by more

Will Mazda Try to be the New Honda?

By Bill Visnic October 19, 2010

With Ford Motor Co., a financial and product-development partner of three decades, reportedly preparing to reduce its stake in Mazda Motor Corp. to little more than a token, the auto industry will be awash in speculation about how Mazda should proceed - and whether it can keep its independence in an environment increasingly difficult for low-volume players. Ford seems to be more than symbolically distancing from Mazda if the plan takes place to reduce its ownership from today's 11 percent to less than three percent and would leave Mazda with no significant tie-ups with a larger automaker. Less than more

Edmunds Names Cheapest Vehicles to Own in 2010

By Bill Visnic June 7, 2010

Edmunds.com, parent of AutoObserver, today named vehicles in 21 distinct segments the leaders in its proprietary True Cost to Own (TCO) metric that establishes total vehicle ownership costs. Vehicles by Japanese automakers dominate the 2010 TCO list, placing 14 of the 21 winners. Domestic automakers placed four models and European makers had three winners. Six of the winners are made by Honda Motor Co. Ltd., the most by any manufacturer. Edmunds.com's TCO pricing system estimates total vehicle ownership costs over a five-year period. The calculation incorporates projected average depreciation, financing, taxes, fees, insurance premiums, fuel costs, regional variances, maintenance more

Seven of Ten Toyotas Sold in March Had 0-Percent Financing

By Bill Visnic April 20, 2010

Toyota Motor Corp.'s reputation may have taken a whack in recent months, but those troubles apparently are nothing a good deal couldn't make buyers forget. According to data released today by Edmunds.com, parent of AutoObserver, a remarkable 71 percent of all Toyotas sold last month were financed through a 0-percent loans. Battling the tide of negative publicity surrounding a string of recalls related to unintended acceleration, Toyota in March took the uncommon step of offering 0-percent loans for as much as 60 months on even its most popular models - including, at least in some markets, the Prius hybrid-electric more