Quote:
Originally Posted by heavyD^2
The outlook is pretty bleak for Mazda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freakystyly
I think with Mazda trying to scale up their lineup to be more "luxury oriented" they don't really fit in any category properly anymore. They do build nice cars but are still somehow too expensive to fit in the Asian competitors and too cheap to fit in with the Germans.
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On the surface, from a strategic perspective, one could be convinced Mazda has absolutely lost their minds investing in an all-new gasoline/diesel I6 engine family and all-new premium platform to put them in just as everyone else is winding down ICE R&D and building toward an electric future. Yes, they've got an EV now too, but its largely unimpressive and not necessarily suited for global sales.
However, I wonder if they might have their sites set on a merger in the next few years. Perhaps, rather than trying joining the electric rat race, they've determined that building up an attractive portfolio of ICE assets will make them attractive in a marriage to a partner (maybe even one of the many new players) who's gone all-in on electric. After all, the combustion engine still powers the vast majority of vehicles and still has many years left in it. Maybe this is the method to their madness?