Mazda is rolling out some of its most expensive SUVs yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s abandoning its more mass-market models.
“We never said we would be suddenly exclusively premium,” Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak told CarExpert.
“The Large Architecture was an opportunity for us to expand the breadth of our lineup, not suddenly replace what we were doing previously.
Mazda’s new flagship: the CX-90
“So really, that’s what we have done. We still have volume sellers.
“Have we ever been the cheapest? No, that’s never been where we’ve sat. We’ve always offered value, and that doesn’t change.
“The fact that we will have four Large Architecture [models] in new price points and in new segments for us, that’s a bonus, not the exclusive future.”
The Large Architecture (or Large Product Group) vehicles include the CX-60 and CX-90 already on sale, as well as the upcoming CX-70 and CX-80 that have been confirmed for Australia but for which launch timing has yet to be announced.
Axed globally: Mazda’s more affordable CX-8
Unusually – but perhaps not surprisingly, given how big a market Australia is for Mazda – we will have both the Europe-focused two-row CX-60 and three-row CX-80 duo and the North America-focused two-row CX-70 and three-row CX-90 twins.
While the CX-80 has yet to be priced for Australia, or even revealed for that matter, given the pricing of its CX-60 relation it’s almost certain to carry a higher base price than the CX-8 and CX-9 it indirectly replaces.
The CX-8 and CX-9’s discontinuation in Australia was announced in 2023, with global production of these vehicles ending.
Refreshed: Mazda’s entry-level 2
But while these models are disappearing from showrooms, freeing up space for new arrivals higher up in Mazda’s lineup, at the other end of the range it’s business as usual.
The Mazda 2 recently received a facelift, while the CX-3 – the best-selling vehicle in its segment – also received minor updates for 2024.
Mazda has recently rolled out running changes to its 3 sedan and hatchback and CX-30 crossover lines, while the Mazda 6 is sticking around despite being axed in markets like Japan, the UK and North America.
The brand’s best seller is the CX-5, and Mazda Australia has confirmed there’s a direct replacement “in terms of size, packaging and value” coming, though it may wear a different nameplate.
