Mazda Sales Going Well in Europe

Mazda is one of the companies which are posting increasing sales around the world, especially in Europe where governments across the continent supported automakers with scrapping schemes. The Japanese manufacturer says that although the industry was down 11 percent in some markets, it still managed to increase the share in 12 countries, with six of them posting all-time January-June records for the predicted market share: the UK (2.4 percent), Russia (3.5 percent), Portugal (2.8 percent), Slovenia (3.3 percent), Croatia (3.4 percent) and Poland (1.1 percent).

Additionally, Mazda revealed increases in some other countries too, including Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Turkey and Hungary.

"While many markets have seen the introduction of scrappage programmes, initial indications highlight that these schemes have significantly improved sales in the Micro (“A”) segment. Although Mazda does not offer vehicles in this area of the market, Mazda volumes during the first 6 months of the year supported the achievement of a 1.8 percent market share overall," the company said in a release.

Furthermore, Zoom-Zoom expects sales to grow further as it recently started deliveries of the new Mazda3 which is seen as one of the main models to support the company in tackling the global recession.

Mazda3, which was officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, 2008, comes with multiple engine options, including 2.0- and 2.5-liter, mated to either a 5-speed automatic or 5- or 6-speed manual transmission. The 2.5-liter unit generates 167 horsepower and 168 lb-ft of torque, helping the car achieve a maximum speed of 117 mph (188 km/h) when mated to the manual 6-speed transmission.