I understand it to be the start of Mazda'a attempt to move upmarket.

Personally, I think it will be awfully hard to convince those who buy Mercedes and BMWs etc Al that Mazda suddenly holds the same cachet even though they are probably more reliable ( diesels excepted).

I see that Bentley has just had a record year. Manufacturers will increasingly chase profitability per unit over sales numbers.

Anyone else a little bit excited to see Mazda producing something interesting again?

A biggish SUV which, with the grill treatment removed, could really be anything?.

In the grand scheme of things in the motoring world 3ltre petrol and 3.3litre diesels seems to be backward thinking unless they have a warehouse full of old engines that they need to offload!

The blurb on that link says it will start off with the 2.5 four pot (already used) and that the straight sixes "will join the range in the future".

I'm guessing whether or not that actually happens will depend on how well received the 2.5 is, and by how much customer interest there is for the bigger engines. In short, I wouldn't be holding my breath.

I would've liked to see the 2.5 (Skyactiv-G) in turbocharged form, like on the Mazda3 in North America.

These are new engines coming out with rear wheel drive biased drivetrains.

Would they be able to compete with the equivalent BMW's I doubt it. I know where my money would be

In the longer term the Mazda would loose out on depreciation

No it won't, that isn't how depreciation works on cars. The first two to three years is where all cars take the biggest hit and that is where the Mazda might lose out to a premium German rival. Once past that period, depreciation evens out and any difference would be negligible.

Exactly BBD, and in the meantime I'd be enjoying the superior quality, gorgeously designed interior and greater reliability of the Mazda

In the longer term the Mazda would loose out on depreciation

No it won't, that isn't how depreciation works on cars. The first two to three years is where all cars take the biggest hit and that is where the Mazda might lose out to a premium German rival. Once past that period, depreciation evens out and any difference would be negligible.

It is well known that after 3 years some cars might loose as much as 60% of their value new and others much less. A rival car the BMW X3 would in my opinion loose much less than the Mazda in three years and be miles a head in value after 10years as once the price is lost there is no catch up. One only has to look at most BMWs of say 10 years and see the premium prices they command

It is well known that after 3 years some cars might loose as much as 60% of their value new and others much less. A rival car the BMW X3 would in my opinion loose much less than the Mazda in three years and be miles a head in value after 10years as once the price is lost there is no catch up. One only has to look at most BMWs of say 10 years and see the premium prices they command

You are missing the point. Yes, after 3 years, some cars will have lost more value than others, but once past that point, depreciation levels off.

We're not talking Vauxhall here. :-)

Edited by Trilogy. on 17/03/2022 at 08:06

""" Cars which depreciate at high rates eg Vauxhalls continue their decline at a higher rate than premium cars

Only mentioned Vauxhall as an example, might also have mentioned Mazda as they too will never be considered a premium brand

Straight talking John Cadogan has stated Mazda interiors are better quality than Mercedes. Sit in a Mazda 3 or CX-5 then you'll realise he's right. If you the want the badge buy your BMW, if you want a car that slips under the radar, is beautifully built and designed, you'll appreciate the exclusivity, reliability and driving characteristics of the Mazda, then realise it's more premium than you perceive it to be. For some a BMW is no better than a Ford, and they're more common too.

Looks suspiciously like a Toyota RAV4 with a Mazda front end glued on.

Only if you need a visit to Specsavers, better get an appointment PDQ SLO.

((chuckle)) Far better looking than a Rav4.

To be fair, the 'new' Mazda2 'hybrid' is basically just a Toyota Yaris with Mazda mortifs.