While North America is a key market for Mazda, the CX-60, the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in its range, will mark its return to the large SUV segment in the fall of 2022.
Due to production disruptions linked to the shortage of semiconductors and Covid-19, Mazda saw its global sales decline by 3% in the fiscal year 2021-2022 to 1.25 million cars. Despite everything, its revenues rose by 8% to 3,120 billion yen (23.1 billion euros). After losing 31.7 billion yen (230 million euros) last year, the Japanese automaker has returned to profit, or 81.6 billion yen (600 million euros).
Mazda explains this recovery by an improvement in profit per vehicle sold, favorable exchange rates between the yen and the dollar, or the reduction of fixed costs.
TO READ. Laurent Thézee (Mazda). “We are claiming this course towards premium”
A 2022-2023 financial year held back by raw materials and chips
This return to the green comes as Mazda sold 9% more cars in North America, its biggest market with 439,000 units. Ditto in Europe, where the Japanese manufacturer has sold 190,000 units (+ 6%). This partly offsets the tumble on the Chinese (–26% with 170,000 units) and Japanese (–16% with 149,000 units) markets.
For the annual exercise, beginning on 1is avril 2022, Mazda expects global car sales to rise 8% to 1.35 million units, driven by a strong rebound in Japan (+28%) and North America (+10%), but with stability in the European and Chinese markets. Despite a turnover expected to rise sharply by 22%, the manufacturer nevertheless expects a drop of 2% in its net profit, mainly due to the rise in the price of raw materials and the shortage of semiconductors.
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