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Mazda to Expand SUV Lineup From 2022 Onwards
HIROSHIMA, Japan, Oct 08, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation has announced plans to expand its SUV lineup starting from 2022. The new models will include the Mazda CX-50 to be produced in our new U.S. plant, as well as models in our Large Product group(1), including the Mazda CX-60, Mazda CX-70, Mazda CX-80 and Mazda CX-90, all of which are slated for introduction over the next two years between 2022 and 2023. We aim to offer customers a diverse choice of SUVs able to provide both the driving pleasure and the latest environmental performance to meet demands in the continuously growing global SUV segment.
Making full use of development and production technological assets, such as Skyactiv technology, bundled planning and flexible production, which have been accumulated over time based on our Building Block strategy(2), we are able to expand our SUV lineup efficiently and with low investment, ensuring stable business growth over the medium to long-term.
The Mazda CX-50 is a crossover SUV that will be added as a new core model to the lineup and be introduced in the U.S. market, where a strong SUV presence as well as off-road performance are in high demand. This model belongs to the Small Product group(3) just like the Mazda3 and Mazda CX-30. The production of the CX-50 will begin in January 2022 at the new Mazda-Toyota joint venture factory, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (MTMUS), built in Huntsville, Alabama, in the U.S.
Having a wide price range coming in above that of the CX-50 or currently available CX-5, models from the Large Products group, i.e., the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90, will offer two body types with two seating arrangements: two rows and three rows.
Markets with narrower roads and smaller parking lots such as Europe and Japan, will welcome the introduction of the two-row seat CX-60 and the three-row seat CX-80. Meanwhile, the CX-70 and CX-90 will hit the road in North America and other markets where larger models with a big presence are preferred. Both models feature the wide body type, with the CX-70 having two rows of seats and the CX-90 having three. These models will expand our mid-size crossover SUV lineup.
The Large Product group models will offer a variety of choices of electrified powertrains to respond to each country's electrification roadmap. The European market, where electrification is already in-full-swing, will primarily see the introduction of plug-in hybrid models with straight-four gasoline engines combined with a motor drive. The straight-six new generation Skyactiv-X gasoline engine and Skyactiv-D diesel engine will also be introduced in combination with a 48V mild hybrid system. The aim being to achieve both high output and high environmental performance.
In North America where high-power performance is valued, we will introduce both turbo-charged straight-six gasoline engine models and plug-in hybrid models to meet customer requirements and respond to environmental regulations. Due to the enduring popularity of diesel engines in Japan, a straight-six Skyactiv-D diesel model with a 48V mild hybrid system and plug-in hybrid models will be introduced to the Japanese lineup.
In parallel, we will carry out sales promotion activities for Mazda's first mass-production EV, the MX-30, and introduce models which incorporate multiple electrification technologies that use a rotary engine as a generator from the first half of 2022. In addition, we will introduce a product line that uses an EV-dedicated platform from around 2025. Through the introduction of these models, Mazda plans to complete the electrification of all the models it produces by 2030.
In the meantime, the Mazda CX-5, which has retained constant popularity since its launch in 2012, will see its design evolve and its model lineup enhanced through continuous product improvement. Furthermore, introducing the latest safety technologies and connectivity features, we will increase the appeal of the vehicle and give it the space to continue growing as part of our crossover SUV lineup.
In line with our corporate vision, Mazda aims to become a brand that creates special bonds with customers by enriching their lives with an experience of car ownership that provides joy of driving, the pure essence of cars.
(1) CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90
(2) Mazda's unique strategy to efficiently develop and deploy superior technologies by building up a set of fundamental technologies as "blocks".
(3) Mazda3, CX-30, Mazda MX-30 and CX-50
Source: mazda
Sectors: Automotive
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