How Mazda Rode Out the Pandemic While Rivals Slipped

“Historically, Mazda has been pretty small, pretty independent, and geographically they’re not located in the heart of Japan, where most of the big car companies are, so I think that has also afforded them a bit of that independent thinking,” said Dave Yuan, senior editor of Japanese Nostalgic Car, a website for American fans of Japanese cars. “Their very first vehicle was a racing motorcycle, to challenge the dominance of the big British bike brands.”

Mr. Yuan credits Mazda’s focus on “courageous” engineering for its distinct perspective.

“They tend not to be bound by a lot of the industry conventions,” he said. “They’re always going to try and seek out things that they believe are the right technology.” This includes, most famously, early and current efforts to tame and maximize the Wankel rotary engine, a high-revving, compact engine with a potent power-to-weight ratio — and inherent difficulties with fuel efficiency, oil consumption and tailpipe emissions. Mazda engineers are working on using the rotary as an onboard generator for their first electric car, the MX-30, where low-stress running conditions would allow it to operate quietly and efficiently.

This spirit also encompasses Mazda’s dedication to what Mr. Yuan calls “signature philosophies,” such as “what makes a car drive well, and what makes a car enjoyable to drive.”

Many resulting adaptations — the placement of gas, brake and clutch pedals; the position of seat backs; the way an engine builds power under a hard turn — don’t show up on spec sheets. But in day-to-day driving, they imbue Mazdas with a sense of refinement and delight.

“They really feel like a boutique, artisanal, intricately thought-out product,” Mr. Yuan said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/27/business/mazda-sales-pandemic.html