Thriving Mazda ups sales target
AFTER ACHIEVING record sales of 33,593 units in the first half of this year amid a growing Thai economy and automobile market, Mazda has raised its 2018 sales target to 65,000 units, company executives said in a press conference inBangkok yesterday.
Speaking at Mazda Sales (Thailand) Co Ltd’s half-year press conference, company president Chanchai Trakarnudomsuk said Thailand’s improving economy and expanding automobile market were among factors enabling Mazda Thailand to have delivered its best half-year performance ever.
Chanchai said last year Mazda sold a total of 51,355 vehicles in Thailand, an increase of 21 per cent while the company’s market share expanded to 5.9 per cent.
“It was higher than our expectations,” he said. “During the first six months of 2017, we sold 23,893 vehicles with a 5.8-per cent market share. But in the first six months of this year, we sold 33,593 units, an increase of 41 per cent from the same period last year and a market share of 6.9 per cent.”
The Mazda2 subcompact is the most popular model, with 21,741 units sold from January to June 2018, posting a growth of 52 per cent. The new CX-5 also did well, with sales of 3,254 units, growing by 179 per cent.
Other Mazda models include the Mazda3 (2,621 units), CX-3 (1,562 units) and MX-5 (16 units).
Chanchai said the new Mazda Corporate Identity (MCI) is currently being introduced at Mazda showrooms nationwide.
Half of Mazda’s 134 showrooms have undergone changes to a new concept, with the company setting a target of renovating 90 per cent of all the premises by year-end. The number of showrooms will also be raised to 140.
Vice president for marketing and government affairs Thee Permpongpanth said Mazda will concentrate on aggressive marketing in the second half , starting with the launch of the minor-change CX-3 later this month. He said Mazda will be involved with its own marketing strategy including sales promotion, roadshows and online marketing.