Mazda CX-5 2014 News

Mazda gives us a glimpse of the second-generation CX-5 ahead of its official premiere at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

After a couple of record breaking years, the car industry stalled in 2014. Sales of locally built cars continued to slide as we move closer to the shuttering of the local industry.On the flip side, the SUV continues its relentless progress, accounting for one in three new vehicles sold.Well-heeled buyers treated themselves to a record number of luxury cars. Official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show 1,113,224 new cars were reported as sold in 2014 - down 2 per cent on the previous year's record.Here's our list of last year's winners and losers.Starting at $19,990 plus on-road costs - the same price as in 1994 - the Corolla was Australia's top-seller for the second year in a row, followed closely by the Mazda3.The Toyota HiLux workhorse was next, one of three utes in the Top 10. Hyundai's i30 small car was fourth and the new Holden Commodore finished fifth despite a sales slide in the last six months.Some importers sharpened their pencils or added more features to heap pressure on the locals . The results were dramatic for some - sales of Honda's Jazz, Subaru's Impreza and Mitusbishi's ASX grew by roughly a third, with the Jeep Grand Cherokee up 28.2 per cent and the Nissan X-Trail up 17.4 per cent.Longstanding import nations Japan, Thailand and South Korea went off the boil yet sales from Europe and the United States grew strongly.SUV sales hit a new high, for the first time accounting for more than 30 per cent of the new-car market.Since 2007, annual SUV sales have grown by more than 150,000 vehicles. "The increase in SUV purchases is a reflection of the versatility these vehicles provide and the increasing range available in the market," says Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries boss Tony Weber.The Mazda CX-5 became only the second SUV in history to make the top 10. Ford's Territory cracked it once, in 2005.As mainstream brands went backwards, most luxury marques posted significant increases. Of the big three, Audi performed the strongest, up 20 per cent, while Mercedes-Benz rallied by 15.8 per cent and BMW was up 10.7 per cent. At the top end, Porsche was up by almost 50 per cent and Rolls Royce nearly 150 per cent."The prices of luxury cars have come down," Weber says, "and they have a wider array of vehicles in different segments, so they're starting to drift down into areas where they weren't historically."Australia is now in its 23rd year of economic growth...it makes a difference to people's standard of living and that's reflected in the car fleet."They're not sexy - and they've been largely left behind by a wave of seven-seat SUVs.A comeback of sorts was due almost entirely to one model, the Honda Odyssey. It's been slammed by some reviewers for its frumpy looks and less than inspiring road manners, but sales of the bigger, more practical model are up by more than 150 per cent.Toyota's Tarago enjoyed a small resurgence and the new Citroen Picasso boosted numbers.Production of locally made vehicles hit a 61-year low with just 100,468 Holdens, Fords and Toyotas sold. In 1953, the tally was 99,133 vehicles, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau also provides the peak figure for the Australian car manufacturing industry, 473,045 vehicles in 1976.In 1960, more than 90 per cent of cars sold in Australia were made locally. In 2014, more than 90 per cent of cars were imported.Eight of the top 10 brands had sales slides, Hyundai and Subaru bucking the trend.The changing of the guard at the top of the charts continued, with Hyundai and Mazda closing the gap on No.2 Holden.Meanwhile, Ford posted its worst sales performance in almost 50 years and its 10th consecutive year of decline.Toyota was the market leader for a record 12th year in a row. It wasn't all good news - the Japanese giant's sales were down for the third consecutive year, 203,498 deliveries, down from a peak of 238,983 in 2008.Once tipped as the next big thing, pint-sized city runabouts hit the skids. Sales of micro cars - including the Mitsubishi Mirage, Holden Barina Spark and Nissan Micra - dropped by 30 per cent. Meanwhile diesel passenger car sales fell by 17 per cent and sales of hybrid cars to private buyers fell by 30 per cent.Australians bought 100,000 fewer passenger cars than in 2007. Eight years ago passenger cars accounted for more than 60 per cent of the market; over the past two years they have slipped below 50 per cent.Mid-sized and large sedans continue to feel the brunt of the switch to SUVs - last year for the first time baby softroaders outstripped mid-sized sedans. Falcon sales were down by more than 40 per cent. Camry sales dropped by 11 per cent.The end of the mining boom and drought in some states have stalled Australia's work utes after years of strong growth. NSW was the only market to grow in 2014, with WA, Qld and Tasmania bearing the brunt of the slowdown. Notable exceptions are Ford's Ranger and the Isuzu D-Max. More sad news for locals: Falcon ute sales dipped by 40 per cent and Holden utes by 6 per cent.Top 10 brands in 2014Toyota 203,501 -- down 5.2 per centHolden 106,092 -- down 5.3 per centMazda 100,704 -- down 2.4 per centHyundai 100,011 -- up 3.1 per centFord 79,703 -- down 8.6 per centMitsubishi 68,637 -- down 4.0 per centNissan 66,025 -- down 14.0 per centVolkswagen 54,801 -- down 0.2 per centSubaru 40,502 -- up 0.8 per centHonda 32,998 -- down 15.9 per centTop 10 cars in 2014Toyota Corolla 43,735 -- up 0.5 per centMazda3 43,313 -- up 2.9 per centToyota HiLux 38,126 -- down 4.5 per centHyundai i30 31,505 -- up 3.0 per centHolden Commodore 30,203 -- up 8.8 per centFord Ranger 26,619 -- up 22.3 per centMitsubishi Triton 24,256 -- down 1.0 per centToyota Camry -- 22,044 down 11.3 per centMazda CX-5 21,571 -- up 7.2 per centVolkswagen Golf 19,545 -- up 10.6 per cent

The import tariff on Japanese and South Korean cars will be completely removed from January 15 - bringing potential price cuts to almost half of all cars imported into Australia.However, the industry has warned buyers not to expect massive savings - cuts will be most likely between $250 and $1000 - because the 5 per cent tariff was on the landed cost of the car, not the higher recommended retail price.Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb claims there will be savings of up to $7630 on some Toyotas as 'an example of the real impact that families will see from these agreements ... for Toyota's biggest-selling models".Don't get too excited. Toyota's biggest-selling model, the Corolla, drops by between $500 and $1050.Don't get too excited. Toyota's biggest-selling model, the Corolla, drops by between $500 and $1050.The $7630 applies to the Prado Kakadu, which drops from $92,120 to $84,490. But only part of the price cut is due to the 5 per cent duty reduction.A Toyota spokesman says 'in some cases we've passed on more than the duty saving".Japanese brands Mazda and Subaru also trimmed prices but don't expect similar savings on South Korean-made vehicles sold by Holden, Kia or Hyundai, as all three have resisted moves to follow suit.Kia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says the company will scrap price increases it had planned for January and look at adding features. 'As new models arrive they may have additional equipment," he says.Hyundai will introduce extra equipment but the currency gap between the Korean won and the yen will make it more difficult to introduce significant savings. So far, Holden has also resisted price cuts on the Korean-made Captiva, Barina, Cruze wagon and Malibu.The Japanese Free Trade Agreement due to come into effect on January 15 follows the deal with South Korea from December 15.The deals are estimated to affect about 460,000 cars this year;. Toyota alone expects the changes will make about 100,000 of its cars cheaper.'Traditionally Toyota would have implemented the price reductions at the same time as the cuts to import duty start to apply," says Toyota sales and marketing chief Tony Cramb.'Instead, with the support of our dealers, Toyota has brought forward these price cuts to the start of the year." Three low-volume cars also will gain extra equipment.Some cars with Japanese and South Korean badges will have no new savings because they are made in countries such as Thailand (which signed free trade agreements with Australia in 2005), the US (agreements signed in 2010) or India (which has no agreement with Australia).Price cuts are expected on the Japanese-built Toyota Yaris, Prius and Corolla hatch, among other models. But prices will remain steady for the Corolla sedan and HiLux built from Thailand and the Kluger SUV manufactured in the US because of the existing deals.Mazda has trimmed prices on all Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-5 and CX-9 vehicles, from $268 to $963 on vehicles which range in price from $20,000 to $50,000. But its cheapest car, the Mazda2, and the BT-50 ute will not get price cuts as they come from Thailand.Likewise most Hondas sold in Australia today come from Thailand. Meanwhile Subaru cut prices of some models by between $500 and $1000. The car industry has warned buyers that exchange rate fluctuations have had a bigger impact on prices than the tariff.'The Australian dollar has moved by 60 per cent over the past 10 years but car prices have remained relatively stable," says one industry insider.'Car makers ride the currency wave, plus you have the impact of the devalued Japanese yen. That has a bigger impact on (pricing) than the removal of the tariff." 

Production of locally-made vehicles hit a 61-year low last year as new-car sales experienced their biggest slowdown since the Global Financial Crisis in 2009 and the natural disasters of 2011 -- as Australians treated themselves to a record number of imports, SUVs and luxury cars. Official figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show 1,113,224 new cars were reported as sold in 2014 -- down 2 per cent compared with the previous year’s record 1,136,227 deliveries.Eight of the Top 10 brands were down -- only Hyundai and Subaru posted gains -- as most luxury marques posted significant sales increases. “The prices of luxury cars have come down … and they have a wider array of vehicles in different segments, so they’re starting to drift down into areas where they weren’t historically,” said the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber. “Australia is now in its 23rd year of economic growth … it makes a a difference to people’s standard of living and that’s reflected in the car fleet,” said Mr Weber. It was the seventh time in the past eight years Australians have bought more than 1 million cars in a calendar year, and the third year in a row it has topped the 1.1 million mark. However record-low interest rates and car affordability at a 38-year high were not enough to drive sales growth for the mainstream brands -- even though the strong Australian dollar wound back prices of popular models by 20 years. The Toyota Corolla -- starting at $19,990 plus on-road costs, the same price it was in 1994 -- was Australia’s top-selling car for the second year in a row ahead of the Mazda3 as sales of our historical favourites, the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, hit a new rock bottom.Just 100,468 locally-made Holdens, Fords and Toyotas were sold in 2014; the last time the tally was this low was in 1953 when 99,133 vehicles were made in Australia.Just 100,468 locally-made Holdens, Fords and Toyotas were sold in 2014; the last time the tally was this low was in 1953 when 99,133 vehicles were made in Australia, according to a historical Manufacturing Industries report prepared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.The same report shows, at its peak, the Australian car manufacturing industry produced 473,045 vehicles in 1976. Between 1968 and 1985 the annual average number of vehicles produced locally exceeded 400,000.  However, the Australian car manufacturing industry has been in free fall since the most recent peak of 344,000 vehicles were produced locally just seven years ago, in 2007. In 1960, more than 90 per cent of cars sold in Australia were made locally. In 2005, locally made vehicles accounted for one in four (25 per cent) of all new cars sold. In 2014, less than one in 10 cars (or 9 per cent) was built locally. Falcon sales fell to a shockingly low 6349 deliveries in 2014, less than one-third of the Falcon’s first full year in production on the same Broadmeadows assembly line in 1960 when 26,499 cars were made. The Ford Falcon, last the top-seller in 1995, is now well outside the Top 20, overtaken by the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and a raft of other imports. Ford as a brand had a shocker, posting its worst sales in more than 23 years (as far as digital records go back ) and the 10th year in a row in decline. The Holden Commodore posted its second lowest result on record (30,203 deliveries) but still managed to finish in fifth place even though it has been in a sales slide for the past six months in a row and Holden posted its lowest result in 21 years. Sales of the Holden Cruze, which is made alongside the Commodore at the Holden factory in Elizabeth, are barely half their peak of 33,784 deliveries in 2011. The locally-made Toyota Camry also found market conditions tough, with sales down 11 per cent to 22,044 deliveries -- despite drive-away deals at $26,990, about $8000 off the full retail price -- although it has remained Australia’s best selling medium-size sedan for 21 years. Despite the factory slowdowns Australia’s three remaining car manufacturers say they will keep their factories open until their planned shutdown dates: October 2016 for Ford and late 2017 for Holden and Toyota. Toyota is in the final stages of upgrading its Altona factory to introduce the updated Camry by the middle of this year, two-thirds of which will be exported to the Middle East until the closure. Toyota was the market leader for a record 12th year in a row – ahead of Mazda -- and 18 years in total. But it wasn’t all good news for the Japanese giant; Toyota sales were down for the third year in a row, to 203,498 deliveries, a significant drop from its peak of 238,983 new cars in 2008.Toyota says it will bounce back in 2015 with 10 new models over the next 12 months, including updates to the Camry, Prius and an all-new HiLux. Hyundai eclipsed the 100,000 mark for the first time and Mercedes-Benz came within 1000 sales of bumping off Honda and making it into the Top 10. Indeed, at least three brands -- Jeep, Kia and Mercedes-Benz -- came close to pushing into the Top 10 sellers list. NSW was the only state or territory to post a sales gain in a down market (up 1.5 per cent) and accounted for almost a third of the nation’s new vehicle sales (356,174). Utility vehicles continued to climb the sales ladder, boosted by mining and building sectors and the arrival of more car-like workhorses that serve as family cars on weekends.The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s top-selling pick-up for the 36th year in a row, although the Ford Ranger closed the gap to second place in the ute class ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton.The Toyota HiLux was Australia’s top-selling pick-up for the 36th year in a row, although the Ford Ranger closed the gap to second place in the ute class ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton. All three vehicles made it into the Top 10.Australia’s favourite SUV is a city-friendly faux-wheel-drive called the Mazda CX-5, which signifies another change in buyer tastes: we no longer need heavy duty four-wheel-drives to enjoy the great outdoors. SUV sales hit an all-time high in 2014 and for the first time accounted for more than 30 per cent of the new-car market. “The increase in SUV purchases is a reflection of the versatility these vehicles provide and the increasing range available in the market,” said Mr Weber. Last year Australians bought 100,000 fewer passenger cars than they did in the peak year of 2007 -- and yet over the same period SUV sales have grown by more than 150,000 vehicles. Eight years ago passenger cars accounted for more than 60 per cent of the market; over the past two years they have slipped below 50 per cent. Industry experts believe the shift towards SUVs will continue in 2015 and forecast a similar sales result of 1.1 million vehicles. Mazda and Toyota have just announced price adjustments ahead of the Free Trade Agreement with Japan which comes into force on January 15, 2015. However, rather than discount prices, both car makers have indicated they will add equipment. The removal of the 5 per cent tariff will not equate to a 5 per cent reduction in the RRP; the 5 per cent cut applies to the landed cost of the car and will typically translate to a $500 saving -- or $500 of extra equipment -- on a $20,000 car, according to industry insiders. Cars sourced from South Korea landed have also been exempt from a 5 per cent tariff from December 15, 2014 -- but Holden (which sources most models from South Korea), Hyundai and Kia are yet to announce FTA-related price cuts or equipment changes. Top 10 cars in 2014Toyota Corolla 43,735 -- up 0.5 per centMazda3 43,313 -- up 2.9 per centToyota HiLux 38,126 -- down 4.5 per centHyundai i30 31,505 -- up 3.0 per centHolden Commodore 30,203 -- up 8.8 per centFord Ranger 26,619 -- up 22.3 per centMitsubishi Triton 24,256 -- down 1.0 per centToyota Camry -- 22,044 down 11.3 per centMazda CX-5 21,571 -- up 7.2 per centVolkswagen Golf 19,545 -- up 10.6 per cent Top 10 brands in 2014Toyota 203,501 -- down 5.2 per centHolden 106,092 -- down 5.3 per centMazda 100,704 -- down 2.4 per centHyundai 100,011 -- up 3.1 per centFord 79,703 -- down 8.6 per centMitsubishi 68,637 -- down 4.0 per centNissan 66,025 -- down 14.0 per centVolkswagen 54,801 -- down 0.2 per centSubaru 40,502 -- up 0.8 per centHonda 32,998 -- down 15.9 per cent WinnersAlfa Romeo -- up 5.3 per centAston Martin -- up 8.1 per centAudi -- up 20.1 per centBentley -- up 11.6 per centBMW -- up 10.7 per centCitroen -- up 10.8 per centFerrari -- up 6.6 per centFiat -- up 49.4 per centHyundai -- up 3.1 per centIsuzu -- up 63 per centJaguar -- up 5.6 per centJeep -- up 37.2 per centLand Rover -- up 21.0 per centLexus -- up 1.2 per centMaserati -- up 199 per centMercedes-Benz -- up 15.8 per centMini -- up 1.4 per centPorsche -- up 47.6 per centRenault -- up 42.7 per centRolls-Royce -- up 143 per centSkoda -- up 8.4 per centSubaru -- up 0.8 per cent LosersFord -- down 8.6 per centGreat Wall -- down 56.8 per centHolden -- down 5.3 per centHonda -- down 15.9 per centKia -- down 6.0 per centLamborghini -- down 42.6 per centLotus -- down 14.1 per centMazda -- down 2.4 per centMitsubishi -- down 4.0 per centNissan -- down 14.0 per centPeugeot -- down 0.4 per centSuzuki -- down 21.1 per centToyota -- down 5.2 per centVolkswagen -- down 0.2 per centVolvo -- down 9.3 per cent Australia versus the world: a generation of decline1960: 284,992 of 310,519 = 91.7 per cent locally made cars2005: 248,912 of 988,269 = 25 per cent locally made cars2006: 201,623 of 962,666 = 20.9 per cent locally made cars2007: 200,485 of 1,049,982 = 19 per cent locally made cars2008: 171,432 of 1,012,164 = 16.9 per cent locally made cars2009: 147,680 of 937,328 = 15.7 per cent locally made cars2010: 146,314 of 1,035,574 = 14.1 per cent locally made cars2011: 141,939 of 1,008,437 = 14.0 per cent locally made cars2012: 139,796 of 1,112,032 = 12.5 per cent locally made cars2013: 118,510 of 1,136,227 = 10.4 per cent locally made cars2014:  100,468 of 1,113,224 = 9.0 per cent locally made cars Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

New-car sales have slowed for nine out of the past 10 months as Australian-made cars fall out of favour and we embrace luxury cars.Australians are falling out of love with locally-made cars faster than expected, putting increased pressure on the industry to make it all the way to the end of 2017 before Ford, Holden and Toyota factories shut down.Official sales figures for October show that sales of Australian-made cars have tanked and we are buying imported and luxury cars in greater numbers than ever before.The Ford Falcon, once our top seller, hit a new record low of just 396 deliveries in October as the new-car market slowed for the ninth time in 10 months, figures released at midday Thursday are expected to show.The new Commodore has also hit the skids, with sales down by a staggering 33 per cent, which dragged Holden’s tally across the range down by 28 per cent in the same month that company boss Gerry Dorizas left Holden suddenly after a little more than six months in the job.VIDEO: Holden says it's here to stay RELATED: Holden boss makes sudden exit MORE: Govt must boost funds to stop early shut downs Even the bulletproof Toyota Camry is off the boil, with sales down by 15 per cent compared with the same month last year.The Ford Falcon and Toyota Camry are due to receive updates in the next few months and a dip in sales is usually offset by heavy discounting. But both cars have failed to attract buyers as they once did.Despite record low interest rates and car affordability at a 38-year high, official sales figures for October show the market is down by 1.5 per cent compared with the same month last year, with 91,236 deliveries, although we are still on track to buy more than 1 million vehicles in 2014.Private buyers kept their hands in their pockets (sales down 3.9 per cent), as did business fleets (down 2.0 per cent). Only government (up 2.2 per cent) and rental fleets (up 18 per cent) showed growth in October, the latter injecting new cars into the system ahead of the summer holidays.The Toyota Corolla has stretched its lead over the new Mazda3 as Australia’s favourite car for 2014, although the pair is separated by fewer than 1000 sales year-to-date.This means if you’re in the market for a new Corolla or Mazda3 in the next two months you will likely get an even sharper deal as each tries to secure the top-seller title.In other upsets, South Korean car maker Hyundai was the second best-selling brand for the first time ever, ahead of Holden and behind Toyota. Hyundai Australia has been led by CEO John Elsworth, a former Holden executive for 22 years, since 2012.Meanwhile German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz made it into the Top 10 for only the second time ever (the first time was in May this year), ahead of mainstream brands Jeep and Kia.Luxury vehicles now account for approximately 10 per cent of Australia’s new-car sales; the global average is 7 per cent.Top 10 cars in OctoberToyota Corolla 3819 down 1.1 per centToyota HiLux 3228 up 1.7 per centMazda3 2928 down 19 per centHyundai i30 2475 up 4.0 per centFord Ranger 2405 up 18 per centHolden Commodore 2210 down 33 per centToyota Camry 1908 down 15.2 per centMitsubishi Triton 1787 down 2.6 per centVolkswagen Golf 1755 down 10.8 per centMazda CX-5 1594 up 3.5 per centTop 10 brands in OctoberToyota 17,382 down 4.1 per centHyundai 8401 up 3.3 per centHolden 7542 down 28.4 per centMazda 6880 down 13.6 per centFord 6337 down 15.3 per centNissan 5759 up 8.9 per centMitsubishi 5115 up 0.9 per centVolkswagen 4764 down 3.0 per centSubaru 4003 up 40.0 per centMercedes-Benz 3150 up 39.3 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, VFACTS. Percentage change compared to the same month last year.

Just 21 cars separate Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 in the 2014 new-car sales race.New-car bargains are set to continue as sales slowed for the sixth month in a row and dealers remain overstocked.Affordability may be at a 38-year-high and prices already at 20-year lows, but new-car deliveries are down by 2.1 per cent in the first seven months of this year (to 649,818 deliveries) compared to the same period last year.Figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show new-car sales dipped by 0.4 per cent in July compared with the same month last year, with 89,867 vehicles finding new homes.Experts say the downturn could be a "hangover" from last year’s all-time record, with 1,136,227 vehicles reported as sold.Industry insiders believe the official data has been distorted because a number of big brands declared cars as sold last year even though they hadn’t actually been delivered to customers.At least one company, Nissan, has admitted it is delivering more new cars this year than what it is reporting to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, so that it can balance its books. Mitsubishi and Honda are believed to be doing the same."If you look at (the official sales figures) it may look like we’re falling behind, but the truth is we’re clearing stuff that was already counted," Nissan Australia boss Richard Emery told industry journal GoAuto."So the (official sales figures) you’ve been seeing from us is understated compared to what we’ve actually been putting across the (kerb)." One source who asked to remain anonymous told News Corp Australia: "The industry has digested most of the cars declared as sold last year, even though they were still in dealer stock, so you will start to see the reported sales numbers pick up later in the year."With the Australian dollar likely to strengthen later in the year, according to economists, and with interest rates remaining at record lows, sharp deals are expected to continue across most makes and models.At the top of the sales charts the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 are in a tighter battle than the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore ever were.The last time the Ford Falcon outsold Holden Commodore in a month, in September 2003, it was by just 48 sales (7409 versus 7361).The Toyota Corolla -- last year’s top seller -- has taken the lead in the new-car sales race for the first time in 2014, just 21 cars ahead of the arch rival Mazda3.The Mazda3 was Australia’s favourite car for two of the past three years and ended the Holden Commodore’s 15-year winning streak in 2011.Official sales figures for July show the Corolla was the top selling car for the fifth month in a row, but it is the first time it has topped the year-to-date tally after the Mazda3 posted an unusually high number of "demonstrator" deliveries at the start of the year.However, only four of the Top 10 brands posted sales gains, and Holden’s 10th month in a row of sales surges came to an end, posting an 11 per cent drop in July compared with the same month last year.The Holden Commodore has also posted its first monthly sales decline for the first time since the new model went on sale a year ago. But at least there was a silver lining for Holden: it had three cars in the Top 10.As a sign of the changing times, in the luxury segment Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division has outsold Holden Special Vehicles so far this year; figures show HSV sold 1056 cars to June (with the supercharged HSV GTS accounting for almost half of the brand’s sales) compared with 1208 AMG Mercedes-Benz cars.Top 10 cars in July 2014Toyota Corolla 3800 -- down 3.7 per centMazda3 3421 -- down 1.2 per centToyota HiLux 3140 -- up 5.6 per centHolden Commodore 2469 -- down 12.7 per centHyundai i30 2434 -- up 6.3 per centFord Ranger 2023 -- up 13.5 per centMazda CX-5 1895 -- up 15.7 per centToyota Camry 1806 -- down 12.4 per centHolden Cruze 1747 -- down 29.2 per centHolden Colorado 1443 -- down 14.8 per centTop 10 brands in July 2014Toyota 16,486 down 5.4 per centHolden 8990 down 11.3 per centHyundai 8351 up 4.3 per centMazda 8048 down 5.6 per centFord 6210 down 7.8 per centNissan 5451 up 7.5 per centMitsubishi 5042 down 10.4 per centVolkswagen 3991 up 0.6 per centSubaru 3121 up 0.6 per centHonda 2708 down 1.4 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, percentage change compared with the same month last year.

New Honda Jazz sets new benchmark for rear view cameras: $14,990.

THE Holden Commodore has made a surprising recovery in the March sales race with a staggering 85 per cent sales increase compared with the same month the prior year -- narrowly missing a place on the podium as the nation’s fourth most popular car.Official figures released today show it was the Commodore’s third-best monthly sales tally since the new VF model went on sale 10 months ago, as the Holden brand overall posted a 19 per cent sales surge -- the strongest growth of any Top 10 brand and the seventh month in a row it has outpaced the market.However, the sharp percentage increases are largely due to the Commodore posting its second-lowest monthly result ever in March last year (1606 sales). The Commodore’s tally for March this year of 2967 sales is still down compared with the 2012 figure of about 3200 deliveries.But the Commodore’s old arch rival, the Ford Falcon, continued to rank well outside the Top 10, with just 641 deliveries. The Cruze small car that is built alongside the Commodore had a tough run, with sales down 30 per cent on the same month last year -- about half the sales rate as the same month just two years ago.March is the typically the second-biggest month for new-car sales as the Japanese brands have a surge in the lead-up to the end of the Japanese financial year, which closed on March 31. The sharp discounting prompts also the non-Japanese brands to compete.Last year’s top-selling car, the Toyota Corolla, led the March sales race -- but the Mazda3 small car, which was the market leader in January and February, still leads the year-to-date tally. The third-placed Toyota HiLux ute again squeezed the Commodore off the podium in March. But the Commodore still managed to outsell the popular Hyundai i30, Ford Ranger ute and Toyota Camry sedan.The Commodore also proved more popular than the updated Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 SUVs, which ranked just inside the Top 10 sellers list for March. The official figures show the new-car market is beginning to make a recovery after a downturn in January and February. Sales in March were down by just 0.1 per cent, to 97,267 deliveries, while sales in the first three months combined are down by 2.4 per cent.But the downturn has been exaggerated by Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi, which have all posted massive sales slowdowns for the first three months of this year, likely because their dealer networks are still clearing cars that were declared as sold in 2013.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

Driving a convertible in Siberia in sub-zero temperatures -- with the top down -- may not be everyone's idea of fun. But that's where Mazda decided to host a test drive to remind us that the MX-5 is still the world's most popular roadster, with almost 1 million sold.An all-new Mazda MX-5 -- to be jointly developed with Alfa Romeo -- is still at least two years away, so in the meantime Mazda is keen for the world to know the current model is still young at heart even though it is getting on a bit in car terms. Which is why we are standing on an ice lake near Yekaterinburg, about 400km north of the Kazakhstan border.Mazda invited two dozen motoring writers from nine countries to defend their nation's honour by having a hack at an ice lake instead of a keyboard. This is the fifth such event in as many years and the stakes are high -- in the minds of those behind the wheel.Day one and the boys are in a huddle discussing strategy in military detail. Who's going to do what, and what the others are likely to do at every point in the race. It would have been a little easier to take seriously if we weren't still in Mascot. The plane hasn't even pushed back yet. Competitive? Much?Day two and we've ducked into Moscow between flights (the domestic and international terminals are at opposite sides of the city) standing in a big red square with lots of walls, statues and a building called the Kremlin.Surrounded by this almost magical yet historical place, the emotion is overwhelming: word has come through that those Cheating Rusky Bastards have practiced driving on snow. "What, you mean apart from their entire driving lives," I offer. The group goes silent, the guide says something about the old buildings with the shiny bulbs on top.But we're still in a huddle as if it's half time in a State of Origin that NSW has a chance to win. History can wait. We were about to make our own, apparently, it was only a matter of choosing the theme tune: "Eye of the Tiger" or "Simply the Best"?Day three we finally get to inspect the pitch. WTF? They've included Mazda3 hatchbacks in the event for the first time, as well as the MX-5s.The thought of driving a car that people actually buy (the Mazda3 was Australia's top-selling car for two of the past three years and finished second last year) in order to qualify for the MX-5 race horrifies some of the group.One of our team starts sledging one of the Poms and says something about cricket. I don't watch cricket but the last significant Australia-versus-England sporting moment I can remember involved a football, a man called Jonny Wilkinson, and his left foot.After the first practice session it became apparent that the three Russian teams have professional race drivers masquerading as motoring writers (as opposed to us motoring writers masquerading as race drivers).At this point, to confirm everyone's bonafides, I quietly suggest that the organisers force all competitors to write a road test, to see who can torture the most cliches like they're running out of fashion.Alas, my heart sank when I saw our Russian rivals doing work on their laptop computers between practice sessions. They were hacks just like us, dammit.After qualifying third out of nine cars our only hope for a victory was to do a Bradbury: drive at eight-tenths and hope they stick it into a snow bank.After some daring first lap driving from the first of our four drivers, and an ability to make the MX-5 much wider than it really is for several laps thereafter, we had somehow found ourselves in the lead.After a friendly nudge from one of the gun Russian drivers we slipped to second, but managed to regain first place after a slick pit-stop. Soon after, we learned to be careful what you wish for, because a Mazda did indeed end up in a snow bank. But it was ours.Truth be known, it was a miracle it didn't happen to all of us on every single corner. The ice was so slippery we could barely stand on it without breaking a hip, two wrists and a collar bone. After our car was plucked from the snow by a tractor we made another pit-stop and got going again.It was then my turn to add to our team's misery. The safety car came out in front of me even though we were not in the lead (in fact, we were in the opposite of the lead).So although it is protocol for safety cars to drive slowly in front of the lead car and let the rest of the field pass, we got to trundle around behind a Mazda CX-5 with flashing lights to avoid a collision we never got to see -- and lost so much time we may as well have been in a different zone.So I was delighted when it was time to hand the car over to a colleague for the final fling. The only thing that could possibly brighten our day is if we could beat the other Australian car being shared by two journos and two Mazda executives.After some daring driving from our man on a mission and some gentlemanly driving from the Mazda suit behind the wheel of the other MX-5, we ended up in front of the Other Aussie Team despite our significant setbacks.By the end of the two-hour race, the Russians deservedly scored a one-two-three clean-sweep, something the organisers may have suspected for they pre-ordered trophies for fourth, fifth and sixth positions under the guise of a "Nation's Cup".Although we ranked fifth -- or second, depending on how you measure it -- finishing in the middle the field never felt so good. If only the sweet taste of our 'victory' didn't taste like yellow snow. Russian champagne really is an acquired taste. Especially when it's in your eyes.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Mazda released a teaser sketch of its Hazumi concept a few days ago as a lead-up to the car's unveiling in Geneva next week, but we're now getting an earlier look with a full image of the car leaking online.The design sketch shows the dynamic Hazumi styling, with prominent shield-shaped grille lines integrating into the LED daytime running lights of the headlight cluster, front lip and rear tailgate spoilers, sculpted side skirts, black roof and subtly swelling wheel arches stuffed with what look to be exaggeratedly oversized alloys.If even half of those features make it onto the production version, the Mazda 2 will be one of the sharpest-looking city cars around, and fulfilling the Hazumi translation of 'bounding up' - helped in the concept by the sharply rising beltline that gives it the lively appearance of leaping forward.  Hazumi is the latest development of Mazda's Kodo design, already used for the Mazda6, CX-5 and new Mazda3.There are no further details on the car's features or drivetrain, however Mazda has already confirmed Geneva will also see them unveil a new diesel a 1.5-litre featuring the latest development of their fuel-efficient Skyactiv technology, which could power a version of the 2 in some markets.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott