Mazda Australia will stick with its current pricing and aftersales strategy in the face of generous discounts and longer warranties across the Australian new car market.
“Australia has had a lot of brands present in Australia for a long time, compared to other markets,” Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi told CarExpert.
“New entrants coming in have to establish themselves, and they’ve identified a weak point in what they have to offer, so these are countermeasures.
“Just because there’s an expansion of brands coming in, it doesn’t mean we’re going to change our core proposition in the marketplace.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
“We have never been the cheapest on sticker price, that’s not our strategy.”
Instead of offering the lowest price, Mazda intends to let its products do the talking.
“There are areas we won’t compromise, one of those areas is safety technology,” explained Mr Bhindi.
“When it comes to product and technology, we want to offer as much choice as we can. That remains our business strategy, and that’s not going to change.”
In terms of pricing, most Mazda models have either held steady or seen increases – the Mazda 2, BT-50, and CX-3 are all more expensive in 2025.
That trend is likely to continue, according to Mr Bhindi, even as an influx of new brands – many from China – and a weaker economy have seen carmakers slash prices to capture market share.
For example, China’s Chery made headlines by launching the Tiggo 4 Pro as Australia’s cheapest SUV, while BYD shocked the ute market with the introduction of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Shark 6 for under $60,000 before on-roads.
Each of Australia’s biggest new car segments have been hit by increased competition, from light cars all the way up to large SUVs.
Over the same period, several carmakers have moved to expand their aftersales programs. Back in August, MG announced it was launching a 10-year, 250,000km warranty, toppling Mitsubishi for the best coverage in Australia.
The tables turned again just a couple weeks ago, when Nissan Australia introduced a 10-year, 300,000km vehicle warranty, which remains the longest of any carmaker in the country.
In addition to extended warranty offerings, brands are adding value in the form of subsidised servicing.
However, Mazda’s aftersales program has remained relatively unchanged throughout. Mazda covers its range of vehicles with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, plus five years of capped-price servicing and roadside assistance.
It hasn’t signalled any changes to its warranty offering in Australia.
MORE: Everything Mazda
