Mazda Southern Africa recently added the new CX-5 to its local line-up, but the company’s managing director told us that a “larger SUV” may well also be in its long-term plans.
Craig Roberts, who was appointed managing director of Mazda Southern Africa at the start of April 2017, told CARmag.co.za that the local arm of the Japanese automaker was considering a few “opportunities” to expand its SUV range, albeit only in the long-term.
The second-generation CX-9, of course, holds significant market share in both North America and Australia. Is there a chance that this three-row, seven-seater model will eventually be offered in South Africa, too?
“We look at it and revisit it regularly, but I don’t think that from a brand perspective we are quite ready to introduce a large SUV into a segment I think is really dominated by German competitors and Jaguar Land Rover,” Roberts told us.
“I wouldn’t discount it entirely – never is a long time. I can say that we are looking at certain opportunities where we could possibly introduce it, but not short-term and probably not even near-term. But maybe longer-term, it could be a possibility,” Roberts said.
He went on to add that the CX-9 needn’t be the only larger SUV the local arm would consider.
“We’ve got wind of – nothing official – some other opportunities potentially with a larger SUV, not necessarily CX-9,” he revealed.
Mazda in Japan recently confirmed the existence of a new CX-8, and Roberts admitted that there may well be a place for a seven-seater like this in South Africa at a later stage.
“There might be an opportunity for us to position something like that [the CX-8] between CX-5 and CX-9, which I think there could be a niche for,” Roberts concluded.
