Q3 sales: Mazda continues to outshine EU market

Leverkusen, 17 October 2014. Mazda continues to ride a wave of success, cementing its position as one of Europe's fastest growing carmakers after yet another strong quarter. The convention-challenging company increased unit sales between July and September by 19 per cent year-on-year to 46,126 as EU passenger car market growth slowed to 5 per cent*. That brought Mazda's European market share to 1.51 per cent for the third quarter – up from 1.34 per cent during the same period in 2013 and 1.06 per cent in 2012 – and 1.66 per cent for September while hiking year-to-date unit turnover to 138,556, up 22 per cent.

Mazda outpaced the market by a wide margin in most European countries including the two largest in terms of car sales, posting a 20 per cent rise in Germany compared to the third quarter of 2013 and 11 per cent in the UK*. Spain and Poland once again led the way among the national markets as sales rocketed by 95 and 93 per cent respectively. Other notable increases were achieved in Denmark (+74 per cent), Portugal (+46 per cent), Ireland (+35 per cent), Sweden (+33 per cent), Finland (+21 per cent) and Slovenia (+18 per cent). Sales also rose convincingly during the last quarter in the Netherlands and Switzerland in shrinking car markets.

Driving Mazda's growth were its highly acclaimed new-generation models, which made up the majority of sales. The Mazda3 was especially popular across the continent, chalking up triple-digit year-on-year gains in a number of countries, including Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. Completely redesigned from the ground up, the Mazda3, Mazda6 and Mazda CX-5 feature the carmaker's convention-defying range of SKYACTIV Technology. These vehicles are lightweight and fuel efficient with no compromises to performance, safety or Mazda's patented driving fun. They look good, too, thanks to their head-turning KODO – Soul of Motion exterior designs. The equally innovative next-generation Mazda2 will join the Mazda line-up in early 2015, with further new models to follow.

"We posted our best September in five years, increasing sales in Europe by 25 per cent. It's an exceptional result, particularly in a slowing overall market," says Mazda Motor Europe Vice President Sales Martijn ten Brink. "The consistently strong customer demand for our fantastic new-generation products is what's behind our success, and we're working hard to get more of these models to market as quickly as possible."

* Source for European figures: www.acea.be (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association), New Passenger Car Registrations, EU28 + EFTA (excluding Malta)

** Sources for national figures: www.bilimp.dk (Danish Car Importers Association); www.aut.fi (Finnish Automobile Sector Information Centre); www.kba.de (German Federal Motor Transport Authority); www.beepbeep.ie (SIMI Motorstats, Irish Motor Industry); www.raivereniging.nl (RAI, Dutch Bicycle and Automobile Industry Association); www.pzpm.org.pl (Polish Automotive Industry Association); www.autoinforma.pt (Automobile Association of Portugal, Data Centre); www.ads-slo.org (Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers of Slovenia); www.anfac.com (Spanish Association of Car and Truck Manufacturers); bilsweden.se (Swedish Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers); www.auto-schweiz.ch (Auto Schweiz / Suisse importer's association); smmt.co.uk (UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)

# # #