Will Mazda Motor Corp. take a page from Subaru’s playbook and enter a new segment with its proposed Koeru sporty crossover concept?
Advertisement
It is said that the CX-7 will have a design that is exactly like the Koeru Concept that was unveiled earlier this year.
So far the 2016 Mazda CX-9 is a raving success, and that is in large part due to the new 2.5L turbocharged Skyactiv-G four-cylinder engine that pushes out a humble 250hp but 310lb-ft of torque at 2,000rpm. But while the CX-9 does indeed share some styling elements with the Koeru, the show vehicle is in fact built on the smaller CX-5 platform, with the two sharing the same wheelbase. It’s a lower, sporty SUV.
“This result is thanks to everyone’s enthusiastic support, and we are both grateful and proud that our Roadster has received such a prestigious award”, said Masamichi Kogai, President and CEO of Mazda. Looking to the second half, Mazda relies on the CX-3 and MX-5 models to help lead the growth, but the trust for a future volume increase is especially put in the arrival of CX-9 next spring. It aims to generate more driving pleasure.
Similar in size to the Mazda CX-5, the production version of the Koeru is expected to slot beside it as a sporty alternative, he added. “That kind of genre”.
Advertisement
The US market is the most important one for Mazda, where the brand’s sales increased by 3.2 percent this year, but still behind the country’s average growth.
