Mazda 'CX-4' unlikely for Oz

The production version of Mazda's sleek Koeru concept — a sleek new crossover-coupe in the mould of BMW's X6 and likely to be called either the CX-4 or CX-6 -- will make its world debut at the Beijing motor show in April, motoring.com.au has learned.

But the chances of it being sold Down Under are slim, according to Mazda Australia managing director Martin Benders.

"It's a good looking car so why wouldn't you want it on your forecourt," he said. "The issue is you have to figure out how it fits into your line-up.

"If it's incremental business then I'm very interested in it. If it's substitutional then I have to look at what it substitutes and whether we're better off or not from a profit point of view.

"So yes we would like it, but we have to see how it fits into everything else we've got."

Benders said Mazda Australia had not yet conducted local market research on the production Koeru's feasibility here, where the small CX-3 and mid-size CX-5 are leaders in their respective SUV segments, and the new CX-9 arrives in June.

However, it's likely that whether it's a 'CX-4' positioned between the CX-3 and CX-5, or a 'CX-6' positioned between the CX-5 and CX-9, the additional model would steal sales from existing Mazda models.

Indeed, it's unclear whether the production Koeru, which is based on the current CX-5 and was spotted in China last month, will even be made available outside the world's largest auto market.

Speaking to motoring.com.au in the US this week, Tetsushi Marutani, Mazda's assistant manager for drivetrain and powertrain development, wouldn't confirm if it would be global model but indicated it would also be offered in the US.

"From market research our US customers want more AWDs, so in the future we want to have more AWD models, yes."

Marutani said the vehicle is part of a new model push by Mazda, explaining that it was "not a real SUV or a real passenger vehicle, a crossover".

"Even now, we still have some gaps between the current and ideal vehicle range. We are now trying to move forward to achieve the ideal range [of vehicles]."