Official 2011 Mazda5 Thread

High Hopes: Can Mazda Sell Up to 30,000 Mazda5 Minivans?

The 2011 Mazda5 compact minivan is set to showcase the latest, and possibly last, execution of Mazda's swoopy Nagare design theme. Mazda has high expectations for the next generation of the 5, and has upped its sales target as high as 30,000 units. But will it achieve the goal?

Introduced on our shores in 2005, the Mazda5 was never a runaway sales success. In 2008, its best sales year, Mazda moved 22,021 of its compact minivans. By contrast, Honda moved 135,493 Odysseys the same year, and the 5's second-best sales year was 2009, when it sold 18,488.

But Mazda is willing to bet higher for the revamped 5, and a rebounding minivan sector as a whole. According to Automotive News, its U.S. sales target is in the range of 20,000 to 30,000.

"Minivans have gotten bad press in the U.S. lately," Mazda senior managing executive officer Thomas Pixton told Automotive News. "But we're getting a generation of stylish minivans with dynamics much closer to sedans."

We recently asked you if the newest Mazda5 was refreshing or revolting. Though answers varied, time will tell if the 5's smiling-face grille has the potential to move metal from the showrooms.

[MotorTrend]
 
2011 Mazda5 At a Glance (for Europe)

Design

  • Nagare flow design language applied for sculptured, sporty look unique to C-MAV segment
  • Nagare flow side panel wave + lower character line give silhouette a sense of motion
  • New Mazda family face introduced
  • Hidden D-pillar, front lamps and horizontal rear lamps emphasize the fresh, flowing design
  • Driver-oriented dashboard and centre stack designs inspired by Nagare flow
  • New materials for higher quality touch, including buttons with chrome edging
  • New black fabric and Nagare flow fabric designs for a sporty ambience
  • New designs for 16-inch and 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Eight exterior colours including one all-new colour called Clear Water Blue


Easy to Use, Comfortable and Practical


  • Optimised bonnet shape and incremental seat adjustment give driver wider field of vision for safe city driving and easy parking
  • Centre panel buttons and switches are laid out for ease of use
  • Steering wheel buttons for Bluetooth voice-recognition phone system for easier intuitive operation
  • Information display helps reduce driver distraction by being positioned higher, which minimises the eye movement required to view it while driving
  • Roof antenna positioned on the side for better accessibility
  • Third row seats stow easily into rear floor and are easy to pull up again

Enhanced Cabin Comfort

  • Second and third row leg room are among the best in C-MAV segment
  • Higher placement of air vents improves comfort in the cabin on cold and hot days
  • Noise insulation reduces wind noise by approximately 10 percent over previous model
  • Front seatbacks are wider for improved comfort
  • The front of the new second row centre seat cushion is now 50 mm thicker, its seatback is extended by 50 mm for more comfort
  • Armrest for front passenger introduced. The front section of the driver and passenger seats centre armrest is widened (+15 mm) for better arm support
  • The second row seats adjust to a maximum recline angle of 50 with slide-adjustment over a 270 mm range

Family-Friendly Practicality


  • Two sliding rear doors that hug the sides of the rear panels (protruding by just 159 mm) for easy parking even in tight spots
  • Large rear door opening up to (686 mm x 1,083 mm) for easy ingress/egress
  • Three-point seatbelt in the centre seat of second row allows mounting of three child safety seats
  • Second row offers 3 seats, or 2 seats with captains chair comfort and centre arm rest or tray/walkthrough corridor thanks to the Karakuri functionality
  • Large 788 litre luggage compartment (floor to ceiling) with third row seats folded down
  • Second and third rows fold to form a flat 1,485 litre (floor to ceiling) cargo space for transporting larger items
  • Two pop-up tables with cup holders for second row passengers
  • 45 storage compartments including sub-trunk in boot (optional)

Equipment

  • 4 GB navigation system with hands-free Bluetooth operation, large 14.7 cm touch screen monitor, 99 percent European coverage, integrated CD player + radio and 18 languages
  • New audio system with FIX-EQ function that improves sound quality
  • New double-tuner radio receiver with digital signal processing (DSP) gives more stable radio reception
  • CD player with MP3-CD compatibility
  • In-dash 6 CD changer*
  • AUX jack for MP3 players that use cars audio system
  • Bluetooth audio system that plays MP3 players cordless (optional)*
  • Bluetooth telephone system with steering wheel control and voice command (optional)*
  • Privacy Glass*
  • Rear parking sensors*
  • Cruise control function*
  • Xenon headlamps (optional)*

Powertrains

  • New MZR 2.0 DISI** petrol engine with Mazdas fuel-saving stop/start system i-stop
  • Produces 110 kW/150ps at 6,200 rpm, and maximum 191 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm for sporty driving fun
  • 13 percent reduction in fuel consumption vs. outgoing 2.0-litre petrol, at 6.9 litres per 100 km (combined)
  • 15 percent reduction in CO2 emissions vs. outgoing 2.0-litre petrol, at 159 g/km (combined) and achieves Euro 5 compliance
  • New gear shift indicator makes fuel-efficient and smooth driving easy
  • Increased radiator capacity and new dual fans improve engine cooling performance
  • Air intake ducts moved from the fender to the shroud section to lower intake temperature, which improves combustion efficiency
  • Optimization of intelligent throttle valve control and knock limit control system help lower fuel consumption
  • Updated MZR 1.8 petrol engine now with six-speed manual transmission for the first time
  • Higher ratio for sixth gear helps improve fuel economy, comfort and noise levels
  • Produces 85 kW/115ps at 5,300 rpm and 165 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm
  • 4.0 percent reduction in fuel consumption, at 7.2 litres per 100 km
  • 6.1 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, at 168 g/km, and Euro 5 compliance

Driving Dynamics


  • Exceptional linearity of responses, whether accelerating, turning or stopping that provides both driver and passengers with a comfortable motoring experience
  • Reworked suspension system and steering components added to improve linear operating feel for more predictability and control, these include:
  • New rubber couplings for the steering shaft for a smoother, more linear steering feel
  • Suspension spring rates increased, reducing roll and improving straight-line stability when driving at motorway speeds
  • New, more rigid stabilizer mounts
  • More ultra-high and high-strength steel reinforcements, lighter engines and components make all-new Mazda5 stronger and more crash-resistant
  • New local rigidity improvements for more linear steering feel
  • Spot welds added to apron section of front damper top and the base of the B-pillars
  • Larger rear header rail cross-section
  • Belt-line area now stiffer with new flange added to rear pillar
  • Increased corner radius of the liftgate opening improves rigidity, reduces liftgate displacement by 17 percent
  • One of the segments best drag coefficients (Cd 0.30), combined with improved lift balance, give greater straight-line stability at motorway speeds
  • New front lip spoiler shape, new flat engine undercover and a large front tyre deflectors introduced for superior aerodynamic performance and lower fuel consumption

Safety

  • First global vehicle to introduce Mazdas Brake Override System
  • A new touch-sensor strip at the front edge of the door detects obstructions with much less resistance force compared with the previous model, reverses the direction of the power sliding doors and opens them again
  • A new latch mechanism for the power sliding doors holds them in place more securely during a side impact
  • Second row seatback frames are reinforced to prevent cargo from pushing forward in the event of a frontal collision
  • Side door impact beams now use a double-hat shape that adds greater strength
  • Front seats adopt a neck support structure that reduces the chance of neck injury in the event of a rear end collision
  • Pedestrian safety measures improved by specification changes to the hood and front bumper

[MotorWard]
 
^^ Whatever makes to North America is always good, especially on the driving dynamics...
 
coolmazda5 said:
The 2011 Mazda5 compact minivan is set to showcase the latest, and possibly last, execution of Mazda's swoopy Nagare design theme. Mazda has high expectations for the next generation of the 5, and has upped its sales target as high as 30,000 units. But will it achieve the goal?

Introduced on our shores in 2005, the Mazda5 was never a runaway sales success. In 2008, its best sales year, Mazda moved 22,021 of its compact minivans. By contrast, Honda moved 135,493 Odysseys the same year, and the 5's second-best sales year was 2009, when it sold 18,488.

But Mazda is willing to bet higher for the revamped 5, and a rebounding minivan sector as a whole. According to Automotive News, its U.S. sales target is in the range of 20,000 to 30,000.

"Minivans have gotten bad press in the U.S. lately," Mazda senior managing executive officer Thomas Pixton told Automotive News. "But we're getting a generation of stylish minivans with dynamics much closer to sedans."

We recently asked you if the newest Mazda5 was refreshing or revolting. Though answers varied, time will tell if the 5's smiling-face grille has the potential to move metal from the showrooms.

[MotorTrend]
Click to expand...
Sell 30K units in a year -not happening, at least not for 2011.

The economy still sucks, high unemployment, and ongoing foreclosures mean the auto industry is not out of the woods yet. It does not help that most find the car fuggly.

If Mazda can somehow price this below (yes, I said below) the current cars MSRP by even a hundred bucks, it could have that edge psychologically more for less money. I venture to say Mazda did not invest much in the new models development. Its a cosmetic redesign with a few upgrades; most major components are shared with the 3 and CX7. They have to be making more money on the newer generation vs the older one where they have to design and build it from conception. Demand for cars exists but people need an incentive to buy a relatively unknown brand/model or a new car (vs used).

Realistically I think the base model will retail for just under $20K to cover inflation/cost and it will be a tougher sell b/c they will be treading into the more popular CUV segment. Once people start cross shopping ~$20K cars their attention will be drawn to the more establish brands. Money talks.


About the speculated 2.5, I hope it is not detuned. Notice both the 3 and CX7 have the 2.5 but the CX7 is detuned by a bit, possibly exhaust restrictions. The CX7 is close in weight (+100lbs) to the 5 and the auto takes just a tick over 10secs to get to 60 and MPG is consistent given the extra weight when compared to the 3. Acceptable but not great numbers to really sell a car.
 
Canada's economy isn't doing too bad, and we account for 40% of the Mazda 5 sales, so if they can double Canadian sales that'll be 30,000. :)
 
I'm pretty sure the Sport model will still come standard with standard in the US.
 
Thanks for the news. This is so 1998 Miata.... (does not exist)

I think the controversial design is causing ruckus and hope it will not make it to [US] production -yay! But they just put themselves into another hole... The 2012 will compete against the Ford C-Max Grand. Mazda had the opportunity to get a jump ahead and capture some market share but now they lose that. With Ford's recent momentum, I am willing to bet it will produce a better buy/better packaged compared to what Mazda can throw at it.
 
Last edited:
I believe the issue for a late launch for North America is priority and money, especially as it is a small production model for this part of the world. Mazda has struggled with that lately.

The car with the new design is already in production, Japan (and Europe)

Nice technology pack for the MAZDASPEED3, oh wait, off-topic ;)
 
Silentnoise713 said:
Thanks for the news. This is so 1998 Miata.... (does not exist)

I think the controversial design is causing ruckus and hope it will not make it to production -yay! But they just put themselves into another hole... The 2012 will compete against the Ford C-Max Grand. Mazda had the opportunity to get a jump ahead and capture some market share but now they lose that. With Ford's recent momentum, I am willing to bet it will produce a better buy/better packaged compared to what Mazda can throw at it.
Click to expand...

there isn't any 1983 Corvettes either (new model late in '84)

I can't see how people will cross-shop the Cmax to the M5; the Cmax is just plain ugly and marketed for commercial use. it's dumpy-looking, no where near as swoopy as the M5.
I don't really care how many they sell, just as long as they know it's a niche vehicle that will never sell like the 3 or 6.
 
mpvue said:
there isn't any 1983 Corvettes either (new model late in '84)

I can't see how people will cross-shop the Cmax to the M5; the Cmax is just plain ugly and marketed for commercial use. it's dumpy-looking, no where near as swoopy as the M5.
I don't really care how many they sell, just as long as they know it's a niche vehicle that will never sell like the 3 or 6.
Click to expand...
I dont follow Vettes but am a former Miata owner and see a lot of similarities in Mazdas approach with the new Mz5 delay; fundamentally the same car with new sheet metal but will lose the original cars character. Im sure economics has a play in their decision but I just think they are selling themselves short.

The only recent Ford Ive seen in person is the Fiesta and personally I dont like Fords fish bowl front end either but it is the lesser of two evils compared to the Mazdas giant grin and abuse of swoopy lines on the side. Nonetheless, a lot of press release, publications, and overall interweb public seem to like Fords new direction. Ugly or not, this is completely subjective.

Where did you hear/read that the Grand C-Max or C-Max is marketed for commercial use? The C-MAx is a 2012 Mz5 with a Ford suite on. Ford has the funds to offer a better package (power sliding door, power lift gate, better motor, etc) at a better price point than Mazda. Assuming Ford offers their EcoBoost 4 as an option, it is a much more compelling sell (power and better MPG) than Mazdas 2.5L 4.
 
mpvue, would you mean the Ford Transit Connect instead?

3409035529_53aba57331.jpg


This is the 2012 C-Max (Grand C-Max for Europe), it looks good

2012_ford_grand_c_max_1_cd_gallery.jpg
 
that ford looks smaller than the 5 in the rear end, almost like there's no room for a third row? I'd still take the mazda, just buy it in black so the smiley is muted.
 
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