mazda

Andrew Clearwater (above) has often talked about a target that would make his time as managing director of Mazda New Zealand particularly special: sales of 10,000 new vehicles in a calendar year. “That would make me very happy indeed, something to look back on with immense pride after I had retired,” he has said. The 10,000 goal mightn’t be too far away – because Mazda … [Read more...] about Clearwater’s continuing revival: 10,000 sales on target for Mazda NZ

Expect Mazda’s rotary-powered RX-Vision concept to go into production in 2020, the 50th anniversary of the Japanese carmaker’s mass-produced rotary engine programme. Mazda hasn’t confirmed a launch date but connections I have been dealing with in Japan and the United States for the past 25 years say 2020 is pretty much a sure thing. That year isn’t the 50th birthday … [Read more...] about Mazda’s rotary vision of the future down for launch in 2020

The light truck market in New Zealand is getting an all-American flavour about it, with the mix of mostly Fords and Toyotas as much at home on the swank driveways of city slickers as they are down on the farm. The Ford Ranger continues to be the country’s best selling vehicle, carrying a ‘Cowboy Cadillac’ moniker in the city and a ‘Ford Tough’ tag outside it. Same with … [Read more...] about Something all-American about growth in NZ of light trucks, or ‘Cowboy Cadillacs’

Mazda will roll out a sports car concept at the Tokyo motor show later this month – and speculation is it will be a badged a new RX model and showcase an improved version of the dual-fuel rotary engine the carmaker has used in its Renesis hydrogen programme. Further conjecture has it that the engine will be larger, lighter, and considerably more fuel efficient than the … [Read more...] about Mazda hints at new rotary-powered sports car – 50 years after its first Cosmo Sport