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Mazda CEO predicts record US sales in next 2 years

The recently appointed CEO of Mazda is apparently quite the optimist, claiming that the Japanese brand, renowned for its Zoom-Zoom driving character (and more recently its sleek, refined designs and Skyactiv efficiency), is claiming the company will record its best-ever US sales within the next two years. According to a report from Automotive News, Masamichi Kogai expects Mazda to move 400,000 of its Kodo-styled vehicles in the increasingly competitive US market by March 2016, with the recently launched Mazda3 leading the charge. "It will impacted considerably by the trend of the U.S. industry. But... it's my hope we achieve the record by that time," Kogai tells AN.
The brand is currently targeting 300,000 units by the end of this fiscal year in March 2014. Given that production and sales of the Mazda3 (and consumer awareness of the 2014 Mazda6) is still picking up steam, it isn't a stretch to imagine Mazda, which sold 240,000 vehicles from January to October of 2013, hitting its target.
Along with the overall increase in sales numbers, Kogai is expecting the independent brand to take an even larger slice of the US sales pie, claiming 2.5 percent US market share, improving from its current 1.9-percent foothold so far in 2013. "I think the upper limit may be 2.5 percent for the time being," Kogai told AN, before pointing out, "We don't want to use a lot of incentives. That is not the sales approach we aspire toward."

What a 181-horsepower 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata means for us, and you

Last month, we reported on a VIN filing dug up by Road & Track that showed that the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata's 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine would get a power bump, from 155 to 181 net horsepower. As for how the 2019 Miata would make that extra power, we heard rumors it'd utilize a new cylinder head allowing higher revs, accounting for that extra power. Now we have what appears to be a leaked document from Mazda Canada showing exactly where that extra power comes from. According to the document posted at Miata.net (registration required to see the image), Mazda will alter camshaft lift and valve size on both the intake and exhaust side, fit freer-flowing exhaust, and smooth and enlarge the piping on the air intake side. There are also internal engine modifications: lighter pistons with lower crowns for better swirl in the combustion chamber, lighter connecting rods, and a crankshaft balanced for higher-RPM operation. All those extra revs mean extra vibration and noise, so Mazda will ditch the single-mass flywheel for a "low-inertia" dual-mass flywheel – which will attempt to find a nice balance between DMF damping action and SMF directness. Overall, it's a pretty serious engine revision with some driveline changes that will heavily affect the driving characteristics of a fantastic driver's car. Contributing Editor James Riswick and Senior Editor Alex Kierstein, both well versed in Miatas past and present, are here to analyze what this could mean for the little roadster. James Riswick: I don't know much about them lighter crank combustion rods, but I for one welcome the news of more power to the Miata. The jump from 155 to 181 seems like a very prudent Mazda-like thing to do, accomplishing that task through various aforementioned technical wizardry as opposed to slapping on a turbocharger, exclaiming "yee-hah" and calling it a day. Alex Kierstein: That's true. I'm wary of additional power, but you do make a good point that at least this is the right way to do it. Going all-motor will keep the bright responsiveness of the engine intact. But higher revs might make power delivery peakier. Frankly, I'd be ok with moving the torque and horsepower peaks up a bit in the rev range, making it a bit more work to access the engine's sweet spot. The dual-mass flywheel should also help if low-end torque suffers, so less stalling in traffic. JR: Did wonders in the 911 and 718s.

Mazda planning more powerful MX-5?

The new Mazda MX-5 will be available with a 1.5-liter four with 129 horsepower or 2.0-liter with 155. And while either engine may seem a tad on the small side for a sports car, they keep perfectly in line with what the Miata is all about. That doesn't mean, however, that more powerful options aren't under consideration. Speaking with Motoring.com.au at the launch of the new MX-5, Mazda's global PR chief Kudo Hidetoshi revealed that two options are under consideration. One would be a larger engine, and the other a turbocharged version of the existing 2.0. The former option would deliver the extra punch while keeping things naturally aspirated and free from turbo lag, but could throw off the weight balance Mazda has worked so hard to preserve. The more likely option, then, would be the turbocharged route that would allow the Zoom-Zoom brand to keep the roadster light and nimble, while still delivering an extra boost. Neither would be without its challenges, but if overcome, the resulting high-performance model could be sold as a Mazdaspeed model in some markets and as an MPS version in others. And, even if such a performance roadster were to get the go-ahead for production in some markets, there's no guarantee that it will be sold in the United States. Here's hoping. Related Video: