Mazda 2 2016 News

The Australasian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced another set of national safety recalls, with models from Mazda, Tesla, Mitsubishi, Peugeot and Citroen impacted.

Drive-away is the go when it comes to new car deals in October.

Has the heat gone out of the new-car market? That's the question being asked after July sales dipped. We're still on track for a record year but there were more losers than winners last month.

SUVs and utes are hot, sedans are not — that's the message from the latest monthly vehicle sales figures.

As June 30 approaches, things get frantic in the new-car sales business. Brands and dealers feel the pressure and deals come thick and fast — some are better than others.Some car "brokers" make ridiculous claims about saving up to 25 per cent on a new-car price. Best be sceptical as there just has to be a catch — old build plates, unpopular model or colour, old stock etc. Best to deal with the makers direct, as the deals are sharp enough.Market leader Toyota has drive-away pricing on some popular models. The Corolla Ascent manual starts at $20,990, saving about $2500 on full freight. The auto is $2000 more.The Yaris Ascent auto starts at $17,990 drive-away, while the Camry is at a lossmaking $26,990 including prestige paint that usually adds about $500.Toyota is adding extras for no cost on some HiLux variants, for example the tow and stow pack worth $1300.Mazda is taking the drive-away pricing route on some models, starting with the Mazda2 at $16,990 drive-away for the manual. But it also promotes unspecified end of financial year "bonuses" on others. The Mazda6 gains a safety pack at no extra cost.Nissan finance is doing 1 per cent interest on its more popular models and there is drive-away pricing on less favoured badges. The Micra, soon to depart Australia, is the best buying at $12,990 drive-away for the manual, about $2700 off.Mitsubishi is doing free auto upgrades on several models.Hyundai has a mix of incentives. These include drive-away pricing on Accent Active manual hatch at $14,990 — about $3500 off (and just $1000 for an auto). It still has the i30 Active auto at $19,990, roughly $7000 off.There is five years' free servicing on some Hyundais and, on others, free third-party, registration and stamp duty (but not dealer delivery). ABN holders get a $1500 factory bonus on iLoad.Kia's run-out Cerato is $19,990 drive-away, plus free auto plus a $1000 gift card — making it the cheapest small car with auto in Australia. It's about $6000 off full price.In addition, all Kias have an unbeatable seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty.Holden's Step Up Sale has range of incentives, among them drive-away pricing, free auto and three years' free servicing.Holden is doing three years' free servicing on its SUVs, free auto and three years free servicing on the Colorado and Ute and free auto on Commodore. The Spark LS manual at $14,990 drive-away is just $1000 above its RRP.Ford's range is variously boosted by drive-away pricing, cash bonuses of $500, $1000 or $2000 dependent on the model, tech packs on some of the commercial vehicles (Ranger) and auto on some cars.Drive-away pricing is a given or should be at this time of year. If you can't get it, shop other brands.

The range will be built at the Auto Alliance Thailand plant - which already builds BT-50s for Australia and will build around 50,000 Mazda 2s for Asian markets - and it's expected to arrive in Australia from mid-2010.Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson wasn't prepared to talk in more detail about the pricing structure for the Thai-sourced Mazda2.  The AAT plant boasts Mazda's three-layer wet paint system and Mr Dickson said it was a good opportunity for Mazda to bring the sedan - which boasts a 450-litre boot - here."We are delighted to be able to offer Australians the all-new Mazda2 sedan and moving to Thailand production enables us to do this," he says.  "I can confirm one of the year's worst kept secrets - from mid 2010 Australia bound 2s will be built in Thailand.  The second part is we will be able to offer the Mazda2 sedan - it sits on the same wheelbase as the hatch, has the same 1.5-litre engine - we don't have any pricing or volume information yet," he says."It is too early to talk pricing, but we're not backward in coming forward and being competitive," he says.  Mr Dickson says the company was looking forward to 2010 after 2009, which he says should have been a disastrous year for the industry."October 09 was the first year-on-year in crease in 16 months, since July 2008 - for the balance of this year we're expecting a good November and December.  Mr Dickson believes 2009 will end up being between 10 and 11 per cent down.  "But that pales by comparison to the 35 per cent setback between 1985 and 1987, and the 17 per cent setback in 1991 - we have got off lightly this year," he says."We're very proud of what we've achieved, we'll fall back about six per cent in sales, but we've picked 0.6 percentage points since July 2008 - the second best market share improvement in the industry," he says.

Priced from $16,500, the Mazda2 has won concerted praise since the new model was launched in Australia last year.

As previewed here last month, the three-door version of the critically acclaimed and popularly successful hatch should arrive here in the second half of the year.