Mazda will be "absent" for two years without being bound by the trend

author? ｜? Liu Dandan

editor? ｜? Wang Shuangshuang

Recently, the Japanese media Nikkei Asia Review (Nikkei? Asian? Review) reported that Mazda will have no plans to launch a new car before March 222. During this period, Mazda will continue to develop a brand-new large-scale vehicle architecture and its new power system, and the models based on this platform will be unveiled around March 223.

This means that in the next two years, there will not be any Mazda models with mid-term modifications or upgrades in the China market and even in the global automobile market. Such a long absence is rare in the automobile industry, but for the industry, it is not difficult to understand that such a phenomenon appears in Mazda. After all, it is Mazda's consistent style to focus on technology research and development.

1

"technical gambler" Mazda

In the automobile industry, there are many jokes about Mazda, such as "Japanese BMW"? On weekdays, I engage in technology crazily. When the money burns out, I put the technology on the car to sell it. When I have money, I will continue to engage in technology. I will let you know what a rotary engine is, and people and horses are one. These paragraphs are either spit or praise, but without exception, they are all talking about technology.

yes, the biggest impression this brand brings to the outside world is "technology first". Different from the brand image of Audi's technology, BMW's control and Mercedes-Benz's luxury, Mazda's "technology" label is more like a summary of its entrepreneurial spirit. In October, 1931, Toyo Industry, which was not called Mazda, built the first AD three-wheeled motorcycle pickup truck, and officially started the road of making cars for this group. In 195s and 196s, Mazda officially appeared in the automobile industry, and the "technology" label was also branded from this time.

at this stage, Mazda not only built the first sports car with Mazda trademark-"Mazda? R36? COUPE ",also promoted the development of rotor engine, and listed the first rotor sports car Cosmo? Sport。 Since this period, Mazda's slogan has gradually changed from "Mazda with technological innovation" to "Mazda with rotor engine" and "Rotor engine that has attracted worldwide attention? & ? Mazda ""rotor engine heading for the world? & ? Mazda. " No car company has ever put all its bets on the rotor engine like Mazda, which is destined to be a non-mainstream rugged path.

although Mazda went through many hardships and went to the brink of bankruptcy several times during this period, it still succeeded. In 1972, the new Savanna with a 12A rotary engine and the Japanese god of war Skyline? GT-R fought fiercely in turn and won the championship, and the "rotor era" officially arrived. In 1991, Mazda 787B won the championship in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Numerous articles have written that at the moment when 787B crossed the line, the rotor became the belief of a generation of young people.

if it is only a "rotary engine", Mazda's image as a "technology gambler" may not be so popular. In addition to the rotary engine, Mazda has been trying new designs and technologies. From diesel engine with pressure wave supercharger in 1988, Miller cycle engine with Richelme supercharger in 1993 to "Chuangchi Blue Sky" technology and SKYACTIV-X new generation engine in 21, Mazda's "technical control" position in the automobile circle can't be replaced.

2

Volkswagen in the niche

A car company that pursues "technology", normally, the market and consumers will not treat it badly, but strangely, Mazda has always been in a position of "unable to keep up". Among car fans, Mazda is a god car and a big brand, but back to reality, Mazda's sales always break dreams.

according to public data, Mazda sold 227, vehicles in the China market in 219, down 16.4% year-on-year. Obviously, the target set for 219 has not been achieved. In 22, Mazda's sales declined again. In January, it sold 2,9 vehicles, down 8.3% year-on-year. If compared with the same period in 218, the decline was as high as 38.3%.

with an annual sales volume of 227, vehicles, Mazda's market share in China is less than 1%, but considering the background of China's automobile market downturn and its own positioning, Mazda's sales performance is not too bad. Unlike brands that always emphasize that they are "pioneers" and "leaders" in a certain market, Mazda defines itself as a niche brand. In the previous public interview, the head of Mazda's global design, Yukio Maeda, said that Mazda is a "small but refined" brand.

Counting these niche brands, the annual sales of Qoros and Renault are hovering around 2,, while the annual sales of PSA are only 12,. In contrast, Mazda's 227, vehicles seem to be a popular brand among the niche. However, Mazda, which has decided not to push new cars for two years, will continue to develop according to the current trend, and its overall sales will only get lower and lower by the end of 22.

even if it considers itself a minority, Mazda will face a more difficult environment once its sales volume in China market falls completely. Mazda's financial report for the third fiscal quarter of fiscal year 22 (October 1-December 31, 219) shows that during this period, Mazda's net income decreased by 37% year-on-year and its operating profit decreased by 76% year-on-year. Mazda's official statement attributed the decline in performance to its poor performance in China and Australian markets.

although the outside world joked that "Mazda sells cars only to make money and engage in technology", the chairman of Mazda China, Hirohiko Watanabe, also talked about it more than once? "Mazda doesn't talk about heroes by sales", but this can't change the financial crisis caused by the decline in sales. Another real problem is that the cost of developing new technologies is high, and Mazda's declining sales may bring a series of negative effects.

3

Never "bound" by the trend

The future of Mazda can already be imagined. As for why Mazda sells less in China, there are nothing more than problems in product and marketing. In fact, this has become a commonplace topic. What the outside world is most concerned about now is why Mazda dares to be "absent" for two years.

Anyone who knows a little about China automobile market knows that China automobile enterprises are undergoing a great change. The Internet industry, which rose 2 years ago, has deeply influenced people's lives. A new generation of scientific and technological revolution, which mainly covers electrification, networking, enjoyment and intelligence, is sweeping the whole automobile industry. In the past two years, strange terms such as artificial intelligence, driverless driving and emotional interaction have appeared in the automobile field overnight, and technology giants such as Ali, Tencent, Baidu, Huawei and Shang Tang have also started to make frequent appearances at automobile enterprise conferences.

there is no doubt that the next two years will be two years in which the process of "new four modernizations" of automobiles will advance by leaps and bounds, and countless automobile enterprises will scramble to release new products and lay out related fields. At the same time, this will also be Mazda's "absence" for two years. For the choice of Mazda, in fact, a little review of its development process will understand that this is a very? The choice of "Mazda"

Mazda, which has been focusing on rotary engines, has its own stubbornness. No matter whether the outside world advocates turbocharged engines or plans to "ban combustion" and mainly promote new energy vehicles, Mazda is still stepping on the road of naturally aspirated engine development that it has adhered to for a hundred years. Even if Mazda was forced to give up the rotary engine because of high fuel consumption and high pollution, it didn't give up the naturally aspirated engine, and Mazda's creative blue sky took over the era of rotary engine. Of course, Chuangchi Blue Sky refers not only to the engine, but also to a set of systems that integrate the engine, gearbox, chassis, body components and aerodynamics for the purpose of high fuel efficiency. Under the blessing of Chuangchi Blue Sky Technology, Mazda was once again pushed to the altar by fans.

"Mazda, accustomed to' small roads', may still choose' another way' for the wave of' new four modernizations' of automobiles." Some insiders said. In the public information, there are not a few reports about Mazda's "new four modernizations", but in fact there are no specific strategic measures. At the Shanghai Auto Show in 219, Mazda executives revealed that an EV model will be launched this year, but from the current point of view, whether it can be listed remains to be discussed.

The insider said: "Mazda has never been bound by a' niche', but has been thinking outside the box and constantly seeking technological innovation and product breakthroughs. For this' new four modernizations' wave, Mazda may be looking for its own unique development mode. Perhaps, just as it did not choose turbocharging in the past, it will not take' new four modernizations' as the product focus now. We cannot judge Mazda's choice, but we can wait for its performance. "

This article comes from the author of Chejia, car home, and does not represent car home's standpoint.