In the late 1980s, Mazda experimented with the creation of a premium marque by the brand name 'Eunos'. The Eunos marque found little success and was discontinued in the mid-90s.
Mazda’s CEO, Takashi Yamanouchi, recently hinted that the brand is trying to move upmarket again.

Yamanouchi told Automotive News that if Mazda make ordinary cars for the mass market, there is no reason for them to exist, being a carmaker with a mere 2% global market share.

Instead, the Japanese brand will look to position itself to a niche market called 'Japan premium', which is similar to where Saab has been in the past. I would consider Volkswagen as the leader in this segment currently.

To achieve their goal, Mazda will be introducing new products which will embody their new philosophy of 'Japan premium', and try to distance itself from other Japanese automakers. This will be achieved through new technologies such as Skyactiv and expressive styling as observed in the 'KODO' design language.

In the US, Mazda plans to leverage on the new Mazda6's stylish designs and powertrain technologies to help position it above its current rivals. The 2013 Mazda6 is expected to arrive in Singapore before Christmas.

All the best to Mazda and may the brand become the new Honda one day.

new model, new technology and 8 more...

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