Mazda: The global SUV boom is far from over

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Mazda predicts that global demand for SUVs will continue to climb.

Small crossovers in Europe and China are driving the next boom.

In Australia, CX-6e pre-orders are already outpacing the 6e sedan.

Anyone betting that the SUV craze has finally crested should think again, because Mazda sees the curve still pointing upward. The company expects SUV sales to keep climbing worldwide, and the prediction carries some weight given its source: the man running the Mazda6e sedan program, who has every reason to talk up cars rather than the crossovers eating their lunch.

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Hiroshi Ozawa is the General Manager of the Changan Mazda Automobile Technical Development Center, responsible for the fully electric 6e and CX-6e models. When asked by Australian media CarSales if the market was approaching peak SUV, he said:

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“Globally, I believe that the SUV will still grow. That’s our projection. The small SUV… that segment is the fastest-growing SUV.” Those remarks hint at Mazda’s next goal, a successor to the aging CX-3 positioned below the CX-30 in global markets.

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Ozawa revealed that demand for small SUVs is being driven by Europe , with China also contributing to the segment’s growth.

The Mazda6e (above) and the Mazda CX-6e below developed with the help of Changan.

Mazda’s own order books back the forecast, at least where it counts. In Australia, the 6e sedan pulled 700 pre-orders while the mechanically related CX-6e cleared more than 1,000, so even within the same showroom and the same platform, buyers gravitated toward the taller body.

More: Mazda Expected 2,000 CX-5 Orders A Month, Buyers Placed 10,000

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi said buyers Down Under “love midsize SUVs,” and the numbers leave little room for argument even as passenger cars stage a modest comeback. Per CarSales, SUVs make up almost 63 percent of new vehicle sales in Australia so far this year, which explains why the crossover keeps winning the moment a customer has to choose.

Globally, Mazda’s lineup is dominated by SUVs . The CX-3, CX-30, CX-50, and CX-5 are joined by CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90 quartet. As for cars, the only ones left are the soon-to-be-discontinued Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6e, and MX-5.

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Mazda CX-5