Mazda Cx-7 Shows Strong Potentials in Japan Market

Mazda Motor Corporation announced the positive reception of the Japanese market of their products which can be reflected through soaring orders of its CX-7 vehicle. According to the automaker, total orders of said vehicle have reached approximately 1,800 units during the first month of sales since its domestic launch on December 19, 2006. The number is about 5 times the monthly target sales volume of 380 units.

About 60 per cent of the orders are for the Mazda CX-7 grade and with more than 40 per cent of the orders for the Mazda CX-7 Cruising package grade. It was also reported that the most popular body color chosen by the Japanese auto market is Brilliant Black, followed by Moist Silver Mica and the wine red Radiant Ebony Mica. So far, the two most preferred factory installed options have been the utility package and the nine-speaker Bose® Audiopilot surround sound system. The first option comes with an Advanced Keyless Entry & Start System, a standard feature in the CX-7 Cruising package. It is chosen by roughly 60 per cent of the customers. The second option, on the other hand, is chosen by over 50 per cent of the customers.

The Mazda CX-7 is primarily designed for 30- to 50-year old males however, based on the orders for the vehicle, there is a diverse range of people who conveyed their fondness to the vehicle. Customer feedback signifies that the main reasons why they chose the CX-7 include its cutting-edge Mazda performance parts, dynamic styling and sporty design.

The 2.3L DISI turbo engine boosts the performance of the midsize crossover sport utility vehicle. Power comes from the same engine used in the Mazdaspeed 6. It is tuned to produce 244 horsepower at 5000 RPM and 258 pound feet of torque at a low 2500 rpm. 99 percent of the maximum torque is available to 5000 rpm.

"Sales of the CX-7 have been brisk at all of our dealerships and the number of visitors to our showrooms who come specifically to see the CX-7 is growing. In particular, sales in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya have been strong, which reflects the luxurious urban styling of the vehicle. We are pleased to see a robust start to CX-7 sales and Mazda will continue its efforts to boost domestic sales and strengthen the Mazda brand," said Shiro Mikami, Mazda’s Executive Officer in charge of the Domestic Business Division.

The automaker opened a temporary display in Ginza on December 1, 2006 to raise awareness of the new vehicle. Only 5,000 visitors are expected to come. To Mazda’s surprise, more than 11,000 people have visited the showroom for the entire duration of the event. The publicity given by Japanese lifestyle magazines like BRUTUS, Esquire Japan Edition, LEON, OCEANS, PEN, Safari and Straight also contributed to the success of the automaker.

Mazda’s consolidated revenue increased 13 per cent in the April-September period to 1.52 trillion yen. In addition, consolidated operating profit increased 43 per cent year-on-year to 69.8 billion yen, a 21 billion yen improvement. The increase is attributed largely to the improved model mix and volume, good currency exchange rates and cost reductions. Ordinary profits soared to 31 per cent to 56.6 billion yen compared to the same period last year.

The Mazda CX-7 made its public debut for the first time at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show in January. Its production began on February at the automaker’s Ujina #2 factory in Hiroshima. It went on sale in spring 2006. The Mazda CX-7 comes in 3 distinct models – Sport, which is the base version; Touring, the upscale version; and Grand Touring, the top version. The Mazda CX-7 is built to compete with the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander, Acura RDX and the Ford Edge.