The Stealth Luxury of Mazda

Mazda’s quiet transformation into a luxury automaker has nearly been completed right before our eyes. When Ford sold off its controlling stake in Mazda in 2008, it would have been easy to predict that the brand would meet a similar fate as Mitsubishi. By the time Ford had fully divested from Mazda in 2015, the company began a technical partnership with Toyota. This would appear to be a far more equitable arrangement that has allowed to Mazda to sing a new song, and build a car brand that screams quiet luxury and stealth wealth.

Personal finance guy, Dave Ramsey, says that the average American millionaire drives a pedestrian car brand like Toyota, Honda, Ford or Subaru. I speculate that this is less about money, and more about not putting a target on your back. While this may not have been the intended goal, Mazda has hit the stealth wealth nail on the head. The design language is perfectly understated. They have a timeless, elegant design without being boring or bland. It is a very difficult balance they have managed to strike. I would wager a hefty sum that Mazda will become the stealth wealth, quiet luxury car of choice in coming years.  

Mazda’s growing partnership with Toyota has already yielded positive results. Mazda recently launched two new SUVs, the CX-70 and CX-90, both equipped with an inline 6-cylinder engines that they co-developed with Toyota.

The two models, however, are not distinct enough. They are nearly identical in styling, drivetrain options and size. That is why CX-70 should become the rugged vehicle of the pair. Mazda already knows its customers want such a vehicle, based on the success of the CX-50. Mazda could only benefit from creating a larger, more powerful option. The CX-70’s longitudinally mounted inline 6 architecture is regarded as more rugged than the transversely mounted 4-cylinder of the CX-50.

The overlanding trend is just in its infancy. Many competitors are addressing that market with large, boxy rigs that all unintentionally look the same and blend in together. The rugged CX-70 would stand out against this competition. Couple that with the growing off-road/overlanding after market for the Porsche Cayenne, and it is clear to see how the CX-70 could carve out an enthusiast position without major development costs. Immediate Upgrades to the suspension, wheel and tire options, and exterior styling cues would sell the bit, giving Mazda more time to fully commit by the time it’s ready to refresh to model.

Mazda can get their Zoom-Zoom back with a CX-30 Spirit, a CUV hot-hatch that comes standard with:

· 2.5 Skyactiv Turbo

· Paddle shifters

· Body color fenders

· Lower stance

· Larger wheels

· Sport-tuned suspension

· Boy racer body kit

Most of what I described uses something Mazda currently offers or could at least develop easily without huge costs. The CX-30 Spirit will be a pure nostalgia play for the brand as this is aimed directly at Fast and Furious millennials that Acura targeted with relaunched Integra Type S. This has the distinction of being fun and very practical. 

Mazda has always garnered enthusiast interest with halo cars like the RX-7 and MX-5. But in recent memory, it has not done less of that. In my view, this is what has facilitated the nearly impossible task of going up market to become a luxury brand.

There are mixed statements about the possibility of a RWD, inline 6-cylinder sedan based on the CX-90 platform. I think Mazda HAS to go for it. The current design language lends itself well to a coupe like sedan, much like the original Mercedes CLS, or current 8 Series BMW. I totally understand their reluctance. Kia tried so hard with the Stinger, and in the end, it didn’t even matter. But Mazda must do it in order to really solidify the brand’s new position. The MZ-9 may not become a volume seller, but would a rolling billboard for the new Mazda that speaks to enthusiasts.

And finally, the existing CX-5 will be upgraded in the next few years. When the new model launches, it should upbranded as the CX-40. I understand that the CX-5 the model that started this new phase for Mazda, and it does not want to let that go. But the entire point of an alphanumeric naming structure is that the letters and numbers are less important than the brand itself. The CX-5 is larger than the CX-30, and is the brand’s volume seller, yet the model-name is completely out of sync with the lineup. Becoming the CX-40 is the next logical step to leaving the old regime behind.