OFF-ROAD SUV gross sales are surging, however Mazda says there isn’t any scope to develop its Isuzu relationship with a restyled model of the MU-X in an identical vein to its D-Max/BT-50 partnership.
The Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport have all surpassed their 2023 totals as of September this 12 months and that’s with out accounting for the hundreds who’re awaiting the arrival of the brand new Toyota Prado.
Though an apparent hole in Mazda’s line-up, a four-wheel-drive wagon is one the model has no intention of filling – Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi gave a fast shake of the top in response to a query relating to whether or not Mazda’s partnership with Isuzu might be expanded to the MU-X SUV.
Mazda has as an alternative targeting increasing its road-biased SUV line-up in a premium route, the prevailing CX-60 and CX-90 to be joined imminently by the CX-70 and CX-80, making Australia one of many solely markets to obtain all 4 fashions.
To additional confuse issues, the mannequin line-up just isn’t linear, the CX-80 being basically a three-row model of the CX-60 and the CX-70 being a five-seat model of the CX-90. When it comes to pricing, the hierarchy shall be CX-60, CX-80, CX-70 and CX-90.
Of the quartet, it’s the CX-80 that’s anticipated to be the quantity vendor, changing the sizeable three-row gap in Mazda’s line-up left by the top of CX-8 and CX-9 manufacturing.
These two six- or seven-seat SUVs proved very talked-about with consumers and go away Mazda Australia between 12,000 and 13,000 gross sales every year to make up.
Mazda has priced the 10-variant CX-80 vary from $54,950 earlier than on-road prices to $87,200 + ORC, beginning round $12K larger than the entry-level CX-8 and ending an identical quantity north of the top-spec CX-9 (though a lot of that high-end pricing is because of an $11K premium for the plug-in hybrid drivetrain choice).
In addition to the plug-in hybrids, the CX-80 echoes the number of six-cylinder turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel delicate hybrid drivestrains discovered within the CX-60.
The opposite three fashions are tasked with retaining Mazda prospects who would in any other case go away the model. “We had premium outflows,” mentioned Mazda Australia advertising and marketing director Alastair Doak.
“We knew we had been dropping prospects past CX-5, so CX-60 is a vacation spot past CX-5 after which we obtained provided CX-70, which supplies us a vacation spot past CX-60.”
Whereas CX-70 appears redundant, given it’s basically a five-seat CX-90, Mazda’s analysis indicated that prospects who didn’t desire a three-row SUV purchased one thing else reasonably than contemplate shopping for a seven seater however protecting the rear row folded down.
“We don’t see any confusion,” mentioned Mr Doak. “The CX-80 tends to be a youthful household, youthful youngsters; the CX-90 barely extra prosperous, tends to be older. We’re fairly comfy that these two work properly collectively, after which on the five-seat facet you’ve obtained this pure walk-up all the way in which from CX-3 to CX-70.”
