Why so little choice?

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anchorman
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Post by anchorman »

I would have had a 2.5 petrol in my CX-5 if it was available but its not happening here where the Mazda GB marketing team know something better than the rest of the world. Maybe now Toyota sales have increased by 5% after ditching diesel, they’ll wake up a bit. Bewildering isn’t it.
CX-5 Sportnav diesel auto. AWD

zoylander
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Post by zoylander »

This lack of choice is becoming endemic in the UK car market.
Before ordering the CX-3 in mid 2016 I even toyed with the humble Dacia Duster, having read it's generally positive reviews, but there was no automatic OR SO I THOUGHT!

In fact there was a version with a 2.0 litre Nissan petrol engine and a torque converter automatic transmission. You could buy one in Brazil or in Russia, but not in the UK. Why not?
CX-3 SE 2.0L 2WD Auto. 43.5mpg.
DaveG
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Post by DaveG »

Do you think it could be something to do with being right hand drive, maybe there research reveals such a low projected volume of sales that they seen it unprofitable in right hand drive versions. That said if it is a factory order why can't they install any engine/transmission they hold in stock.
CX3 Sport Nav - Petrol - Auto - safety pack - snowflake white - 2019
zoylander
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Post by zoylander »

DaveG wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:50 pm Do you think it could be something to do with being right hand drive, maybe there research reveals such a low projected volume of sales that they seen it unprofitable in right hand drive versions. That said if it is a factory order why can't they install any engine/transmission they hold in stock.
The Japanese drive on the left. Their home market cars are right hand drive, so there is no excuse for any Japanese manufacturer restricting choice. Logically the choice should be greater, but modern marketing techniques have little to do with logic.
CX-3 SE 2.0L 2WD Auto. 43.5mpg.
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HouseSpider
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Post by HouseSpider »

I did ask the dealers this question.
Given the number of permutations you could order each vehicle would have to be build specifically for you. This would then increase the wait time for build and then shipment. The majority of Mazdas are built in Japan including I would suspect all the right hand drive ones.
This would give what some prospective purchasers an unacceptable wait time.
Therefore Mazda UK narrow this down to a specific number of optioned models, order these well in advance from Japan. This then allows for a restricted but much more readily available off-the-shelf vehicles.
Sports Nav Auto Petrol 2017, 131bhp (chipped), Soul Red, Half Stone Leather, Safety Pack, Arm Rest, Auto Folding Mirror Kit, Detachable Tow Bar, HatchBag Boot Liner, Stebel Nautilus Compact horn. Space saver.
Gus
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Post by Gus »

Got bored of the weather at the weekend so went to look at cars, got told from a Mazda salesguy (not the normal dealership I use) that Mazda are going to drop diesel on the CX-3 and drop petrol on the CX-5 models...... hmm not a good decision if that is they way they want to go.

Got invited to the launch of possibly my next vehicle on the 22nd Feb, the XC40 Auto/Petrol/AWD......... we will have to wait and see methinks.
CX-3, Sport Nav, Auto, Petrol, Soul Red Metallic, Half Stone Leather, Sep 2015 to Sep 2018.
CX-5, Sport Nav+, Auto, Petrol, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Sep 2018.
Deleted User 406

Post by Deleted User 406 »

I'm actually about to order a Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE Black.

Still love my CX-3 but now need more room and a few more bells & whistles so to speak. My Mazda dealer is actually buying my car back off it's PCP deal.
st3v3cx-3
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Post by st3v3cx-3 »

anchorman wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:11 am I would have had a 2.5 petrol in my CX-5 if it was available but its not happening here where the Mazda GB marketing team know something better than the rest of the world. Maybe now Toyota sales have increased by 5% after ditching diesel, they’ll wake up a bit. Bewildering isn’t it.

I don't know if other manufacturers do it, but it's a shame Mazda don't seem to do some kind of focus group questionnaire to buyers of new Maza cars - or even to those who've bought other manufacturers cars - which asked things like :-

a) would you have bought a xxx model Mazda if it came with a different configuration of engine and drive train and what would that have been?
b) are there any options not available on the xxx model Mazda which has prevented you buying or has compromised your purchase?

If a potential buyer of a particular Mazda model decides never to visit a Mazda dealer because the key engine / driver train / accessory option they require isn't available then how will Mazda UK know they have lost out on potential sales? Even if a potential buyers visits a showroom and then decides to choose another manufacturers car due to those key reasons, I very much doubt the showroom staff are recording this useful information and feeding it back to Mazda UK for them to reconsider the range of engine / drive train / accessory options to be made available for the UK market.
Last edited by st3v3cx-3 on Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sport Nav Petrol Automatic FWD Arctic White plus options April 2016
zoylander
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Post by zoylander »

Neither Mazda UK nor the supplying dealer has ever asked me for feedback, either by questionnaire or informally.

I have visited the dealership twice since taking delivery of the car, once for the first service when a faulty A/C condenser was discovered, and again to have it replaced under warranty. No-one asked how I was getting on with the car or what I thought of it, but I am sure they will contact me when they want to sell me a replacement.

It was to share experiences of owning a CX-3 in the real world that I joined this forum. I have no doubt that it's content is regularly scrutinised by Mazda employees, some of whom may even be members, but whether they will act upon it remains to be seen.
CX-3 SE 2.0L 2WD Auto. 43.5mpg.
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jtonline
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Post by jtonline »

When the CX-3 was first launched in the UK there were a couple of companies that came here looking for owners to participate in market research focus groups that fed back info. to Mazda.

I know that Mazda look at the results of independent surveys, such as the Auto Express' Driver Power Survey.

There's a Mazda department in Europe (I can't remember where) that feeds back what the UK should get in terms of features. I expect they use all sorts of criteria when making their decisions, but heaven knows what they are.
Julian.
Sept. 2015 CX-3 Sport Nav, Dynamic Blue Mica, 1.5 Diesel, AWD, Automatic
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