CX-30, turbo engines help Mazda draw buyers

As Mazda continues its shift upmarket, the small Japanese automaker is feeling the benefit of adding turbo engines to its lineup and the addition of the CX-30 subcompact crossover.

Mazda was one of only four brands to see an increase in U.S. sales in 2020, up 0.2 percent to 279,076 vehicles.

One reason is the CX-30, which was very strong last year, said Philip Van Riper, chairman of the Mazda National Dealer Advisory Council.

Mazda sold 38,064 CX-30s in 2020, the first full year the vehicle was on sale after launching in late 2019.

"I think we'll continue to grow its share in volume this year," Van Riper, vice president at Mazda of New Rochelle and Garden City Mazda in New York, said of the CX-30. "That car is phenomenal. It helps us get up to the premium buyer and is bringing a new segment of the buying public into the stores, exposing them to Mazda. We've got good expectations for that car."

For the 2021 model year, Mazda added an optional 2.5-liter turbo engine to the CX-30 lineup. Mazda also added a 2.5-liter turbo to its Mazda3 compact sedan and hatchback.

Adding turbocharged engines helps Mazda reach premium buyers, Van Riper said.

"We're enabling those buyers to come into the stores and get exactly what they were looking for yet save money over what they traditionally might have been looking at," he said. "Yet we're not losing our core customer base. People still recognize the Mazda product. It's a great driving product."

Jeff Guyton, president of Mazda North American Operations, has said offering a broad range of powertrains is part of a strategy to grow sales.