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According to the production and sales data released by Changan Automobile, the annual sales of Changan Mazda in 2022 were 104032, down 21.43% from the same period last year, including 6372 in December, down 8.07% from the same period last year.

According to the official website of Changan Mazda, the models currently on sale include Unksera, Atez, CX-30/CX-30 EV, CX-4, CX-5, CX-8 and other models, of which more than 70% come from Onksera. According to the number of insurances, in the first 11 months of 2022, Oncella was 56350, CX-5 was 15882, CX-30 was 10658, Atez was 7314, CX-4 was 6141 and CX-8 was 1203.

As we all know, FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda merged into (new) Changan Mazda in August 2021, but from the sales data, the concentration of resources did not help Mazda in terms of sales.

The development process of Mazda in the Chinese market can be described as ups and downs, on and off. Mazda's relationship with the Chinese market began in 1992, when Mazda entered China and partnered with Hainan Automobile to produce Hainan Mazda until the end of the cooperation in 2006. In 2005, FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda were established. It should be noted that FAW Mazda is limited to technical cooperation and automobile sales, and does not have the qualification for vehicle production. FAW Mazda models on sale are all produced by FAW cars. In 2021, FAW Group, Mazda and Changan Automobile launched negotiations and finally merged FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda to form (new) Changan Mazda.

A big background for the merger of North and South Mazda is the steady decline in the Chinese market. Mazda sold 1.2875 million vehicles worldwide in 2021, up 3.6 per cent from a year earlier, according to data. But China has become the only declining market for Mazda, with year-on-year sales falling 14.3 per cent to 184000 vehicles. By comparison, Mazda sold 332700 vehicles in the US, up 19.2 per cent from a year earlier, and 189700 in Europe, up 5.3 per cent from a year earlier.

In addition to the fierce competition, Mazda's loss of the Chinese market has something to do with its own strategic layout in China. According to the official website, Changan Mazda is currently selling a total of seven models, but in fact, there are only five models in the showrooms of most 4S stores, such as Oncella, Atez, CX-30, CX-4 and CX- 5. It is understood that Changan Mazda last launched a new car in May 2020, positioning small SUV Changan CX-30 officially listed, the guiding price range of 12.99-171900 yuan. In September 2021, Changan Mazda launched CX-30 EV based on CX-30, with a price range of 159800-201800 yuan after comprehensive subsidy, but because it is an oil-to-electric model, the sales of new cars remain depressed after the launch, and its contribution to the brand is basically negligible.

At the 2022 Guangzhou Motor Show, the Changan Mazda CX-50 was officially unveiled, and the new car is the first model launched after the merger of North and South Mazda. In terms of appearance, CX-50 uses the family's brand-new design language, the larger front grille structure remains the same, but the shape becomes flatter, and the black grille frame extends to both sides to connect with the headlamp group, forming an integrated design of grille and headlamp. In addition, the cooling grooves on both sides of the front bumper and the silver grille on the front lips make the new car look very strong.

On the side of the body, you can see that the body is very slender, especially the front part, and the black trim panel that extends from the front to the side skirt and then to the rear looks very rugged. Black rearview mirror, chrome-plated roof luggage rack, well-lined window frame, large-size wheels and other designs further enhance the off-road properties of the new car. In the rear part of the car, the round taillight with blackening treatment adopts the same three-dimensional design as MX-30, and the lighting effect will be very recognizable. At the same time, the spoiler extending above the rear of the new car is embedded with a long strip of high brake lights, which is combined with the horizontal lines on the rear door and the double-sided circular exhaust surrounded by the rear, which further strengthens the sports sense of the new car. In terms of size, the length, width and height of the new car are 4785/1920/1638mm, the wheelbase is 2815mm, and the positioning is compact SUV.

In the interior part, Mazda does not pursue the current trend of "big screen and inner roll". The central control screen is still set above the center console that is convenient for drivers to observe, and the instrument is also a combination of liquid crystal and mechanic. however, the new family style makes the car look more hard, three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, through air conditioning vents and other designs take into account both technology and texture.

In terms of power, CX-50 is equipped with 2.0L and 2.5L power options, and transmission is equipped with 6AT gearbox. However, it is disappointing that the CX-50 rear suspension uses a torsion beam non-independent suspension, and the vehicle with this suspension is generally poor in stationarity and comfort. Because of its simple structure and large bearing capacity, the suspension is mostly used in trucks, ordinary buses and some other special vehicles. For the above estimated price of more than 200000 yuan of SUV, the use of torque beam non-independent suspension is indeed relatively rare. It is understood that in addition to CX-50, Changan Mazda will also introduce CX-90 this year.

In fact, not only Mazda, but also many Japanese brands did not perform well in 2022. Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Toyota also encountered development problems in the Chinese market to varying degrees, and the future fate of Mazda has been discussed. At present, Changan Mazda only Anksera can support the store, although it is not marginalized, but to quickly recover the market, Changan Mazda has a long way to go.

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