We’ve been hearing about Mazda’s upmarket shift for quite a while now, and have even begun to see the results in some of their newer vehicles. Now, Mazda North America’s new CEO has finally organized a formal plan for this push towards luxury, and that plan was shared in full detail.
Speaking with Automotive News, Tom Donnelly, the new CEO of Mazda North American Operations, explained that the Japanese automaker will be taking a two-stage approach.
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The first stage of the plan involves the rollout of the CX-90 and CX-70 crossovers. The former has already shown itself to bring a good deal of luxury for a price substantially cheaper than the Germans, and it also has the premium looks and inline-six RWD-biased powertrain to match. Not only that, but it offers hybridization across the range. The CX-70, meanwhile, aims to be the same in a smaller, nimbler, two-row package, and it’s set to hit U.S. shores later this year.
“The CX-90 is the most premium vehicle we have ever introduced to the U.S. market,” Donnelly said. “The exterior design, the technology in the vehicle, the powertrains that come with CX-90 really represent a [new] territory for Mazda and a significant enhancement from the way the brand has been recognized previously.”
After that, the second stage of the plan involves developing a model range that’s fully electrified by 2030. More specifically, each model in Mazda’s lineup will have at least one all-electric version by the end of the decade. Considering their only EV at the moment, the MX-30, has a meager 100-mile (161-km) range, they have a lot of work to do before that time comes. That being said, Donnelly feels that not everyone needs all that much range.
“We think there are customers out there, and the 100- to 150-mile range is exactly what they need, and the MX-30 serves the purpose,” he said. “The people that aren’t quite ready to make the leap to battery electric for all the anxiety and reasons that we’re all well aware of, the plug-in offers a great initial step toward that in the future.”
