Mazda is planning updates and a safety-focused marketing push to revive sales of its struggling CX-70 and CX-90 SUVs.
The large models, designed mainly for American buyers, have not met expectations.
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Meanwhile, the aging Mazda3 is enjoying one of its strongest sales years, highlighting the contrast.
Sales Decline
In the first half of the year, US sales of the three-row CX-90 dropped 24 percent to 21,271 units.
The two-row CX-70 fared worse, tumbling 29 percent to just 5,974 deliveries.
These numbers are far from what Mazda anticipated when developing the pair for the American market.
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CFO Jeffrey Guyton admitted he was not happy with the performance of either big CX model. He said, “That situation is not acceptable to us.”
The company plans to emphasize safety, leveraging the CX-5's recent Top Safety Pick Plus rating. Mazda now boasts more such awards across its lineup than any rival.
Tariffs on vehicles imported from Japan have also hurt sales. The loss of incentives for plug-in hybrids and cooling demand for pricier models add to the challenges.
While Mazda works to rescue its newest models, the Mazda3, introduced in 2018, is thriving.
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July deliveries jumped almost 88 percent, and year-to-date sales are up 28 percent.
