majic
03-16-2007, 11:56 AM
Wooowwaaaawweeewaaa :) :bana
source (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=85388204-4d20-4dc4-ab17-e8f1ffdb1124)
Mazda3 snapping at Honda Civic's heels
Nicolas Van Praet, Financial Post
Published: Friday, March 16, 2007
The Honda Civic's seven-year reign as the top-selling passenger car in Canada is in jeopardy as Mazda Motor Corp. closes in on its Japanese rival with its popular Mazda3.
The Mazda3 is running neck and neck with Honda Motor Co.' s Civic in the first two months of this year, posting a 24.9% sales gain over the same period in 2006, new research by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants shows.
The Civic is still slightly ahead, with 5,800 units to the Mazda3's 5,554. And its dominance last year, vastly outselling its nearest rival, suggests it will be hard to beat. But Civic sales have fallen 20.2% so far this year over last year and its long lead in the rankings may be slipping.
"It may be the battle to watch this year," Dennis DesRosiers, president of the consultancy, said in a note. "The Civic obviously has a big bull's-eye on it."
Mazda's growth suggests Canadian consumers now perceive its vehicles to be every bit as reliable as those of Honda and Toyota Motor Co., which was not always the case. It also suggests Mazda is pushing hard to snare top spot in the hope it may give a lift to its other lesser-known models.
On the surface, Mazda3's breakthrough appears remarkable because the car is already three years old and has not been significantly changed. By contrast, Honda introduced a completely redesigned Civic for 2006.
But a closer read of the situation shows Mazda offered a slightly more attractive financing rate in January and February than Honda and a slightly better lease deal, which Honda has since matched, said Geoff Helby, national account manager for Power Information Network, a unit of J.D. Power & Associates. During those two months, Mazda3 sedans spent 27 days on average on dealer lots before they sold, compared with 31 days for the Civic, he said.
The shine has come off the new Civic, now a year old, Mr. Helby said. At the same time, Mazda is offering aggressive rates on its three-year-old car in its bid to capture the spotlight.
"Everyone wants to be No. 1," Mr. Helby said yesterday. "You always remember the champion. It's hard to remember who came in second."
Building on the success of its "zoom zoom" advertising campaign, Mazda has diversified its product lineup, while introducing the same element of sporty practicality that has made Honda vehicles so popular, said Doug Leighton, who teaches a course on automotive history and culture at Huron University College, University of Western Ontario.
"Mazda has remade itself," Mr. Leighton said. "[It's] convinced people that Mazda's here to stay, that they make cars that are the equal of the other Japanese manufacturers."
Competition in Canada's compact car segment is fierce. Toyota's Corolla and Chevrolet Cobalt are also chasing the Civic and Mazda3. And sales of Chrysler's Dodge Caliber are growing fast. That signals promise for Chrysler, which is showing early signs it is shedding its over-reliance on trucks and SUVs.
Both Mazda and Honda had record sales years in Canada last year. The Civic has held top spot in passenger car rankings since 2000, when it snatched the title away from General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Cavalier.
Honda, which makes the Civic in Canada at a plant in Alliston, Ont., said last fall it planned to increase output of the vehicle by 60,000 units a year. The company also said it would take the unusual step of using a dedicated truck assembly line to help build more Civics. Honda is now readying its Alliston Plant 2 truck factory to add Civic production starting next month.
nvanpraet@nationalpost.com
source (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=85388204-4d20-4dc4-ab17-e8f1ffdb1124)
Mazda3 snapping at Honda Civic's heels
Nicolas Van Praet, Financial Post
Published: Friday, March 16, 2007
The Honda Civic's seven-year reign as the top-selling passenger car in Canada is in jeopardy as Mazda Motor Corp. closes in on its Japanese rival with its popular Mazda3.
The Mazda3 is running neck and neck with Honda Motor Co.' s Civic in the first two months of this year, posting a 24.9% sales gain over the same period in 2006, new research by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants shows.
The Civic is still slightly ahead, with 5,800 units to the Mazda3's 5,554. And its dominance last year, vastly outselling its nearest rival, suggests it will be hard to beat. But Civic sales have fallen 20.2% so far this year over last year and its long lead in the rankings may be slipping.
"It may be the battle to watch this year," Dennis DesRosiers, president of the consultancy, said in a note. "The Civic obviously has a big bull's-eye on it."
Mazda's growth suggests Canadian consumers now perceive its vehicles to be every bit as reliable as those of Honda and Toyota Motor Co., which was not always the case. It also suggests Mazda is pushing hard to snare top spot in the hope it may give a lift to its other lesser-known models.
On the surface, Mazda3's breakthrough appears remarkable because the car is already three years old and has not been significantly changed. By contrast, Honda introduced a completely redesigned Civic for 2006.
But a closer read of the situation shows Mazda offered a slightly more attractive financing rate in January and February than Honda and a slightly better lease deal, which Honda has since matched, said Geoff Helby, national account manager for Power Information Network, a unit of J.D. Power & Associates. During those two months, Mazda3 sedans spent 27 days on average on dealer lots before they sold, compared with 31 days for the Civic, he said.
The shine has come off the new Civic, now a year old, Mr. Helby said. At the same time, Mazda is offering aggressive rates on its three-year-old car in its bid to capture the spotlight.
"Everyone wants to be No. 1," Mr. Helby said yesterday. "You always remember the champion. It's hard to remember who came in second."
Building on the success of its "zoom zoom" advertising campaign, Mazda has diversified its product lineup, while introducing the same element of sporty practicality that has made Honda vehicles so popular, said Doug Leighton, who teaches a course on automotive history and culture at Huron University College, University of Western Ontario.
"Mazda has remade itself," Mr. Leighton said. "[It's] convinced people that Mazda's here to stay, that they make cars that are the equal of the other Japanese manufacturers."
Competition in Canada's compact car segment is fierce. Toyota's Corolla and Chevrolet Cobalt are also chasing the Civic and Mazda3. And sales of Chrysler's Dodge Caliber are growing fast. That signals promise for Chrysler, which is showing early signs it is shedding its over-reliance on trucks and SUVs.
Both Mazda and Honda had record sales years in Canada last year. The Civic has held top spot in passenger car rankings since 2000, when it snatched the title away from General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Cavalier.
Honda, which makes the Civic in Canada at a plant in Alliston, Ont., said last fall it planned to increase output of the vehicle by 60,000 units a year. The company also said it would take the unusual step of using a dedicated truck assembly line to help build more Civics. Honda is now readying its Alliston Plant 2 truck factory to add Civic production starting next month.
nvanpraet@nationalpost.com