Mazda targets 1.6 million sales with new road MAP

MAZDA has announced a new four-year “mid-term” plan that aims to achieve, by 2010, 1.6 million annual sales plus an operating profit of more than 200 billion Yen and a return on sales ratio of six per cent.

For Australia specifically, the Ford-owned Japanese manufacturer will strengthen the line-up with the CX-9 SUV and “improve customer satisfaction levels”.

On the product front, the so-called Mazda Advancement Plan (MAP) calls for an “evolution” of key model line-ups. R&D investment will increase by 30 per cent and capital investment expenditures will rise by 50 per cent compared to the past four years.

It also intends to “accelerate development of next-generation technology for further business growth after 2011”.

“The next steps that Mazda needs to take for the future are clear: deepen our synergies with Ford, improve Mazda’s brand value and seek increased business efficiencies,” said Mazda president and chief executive Hisakazu Imaki.