Mazda SUVs to outsell cars

Mazda sees no end to the global SUV boom and believes the mid-size CX-5 crossover will eventually replace the small Mazda3 hatchback as its top-selling model globally.

That won't be the case in Australia, however, where the Japanese brand expects the 3 to remain its best-seller and one of the nation's most popular models for the foreseeable future.

With more than 36,000 sold so far in 2014, the Mazda3 remains a close second behind Toyota's Corolla in its battle to be Australia's best-selling new vehicle this year – a title it lost to its fellow Japanese small car in 2013.

But the CX-5, a facelifted version of which will go on sale in Australia early next year, remains Australia's top-selling SUV with more than 18,000 finding local homes in 2014.

Given the CX-5 is more profitable than the Mazda3 because it has a much higher price range ($27,880-$49,420 versus $20,490-$40,230), it's a trend Mazda is keen to see continue globally.

"SUV will become much bigger [sales] volume, at least I hope so," said Mazda Motor Corporation's managing executive officer for global sales and marketing, Masahiro Moro, at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show.

"If you look at the industry you will see people switch from a conventional car into an SUV in almost all countries – this is a very obvious trend," he said.

Moro-san said that when it was released in 2012, the CX-5 was originally forecast to generate only 160,000 annual global sales, but it achieved more than double that last year and is expected to find 350,000 customers.

"At this moment Mazda3 is our best-selling vehicle," said Moro-san. "In five years, probably it will be CX-5. We are selling over 400,000 units globally of Mazda3, but CX-5 is catching up very quickly.

"Our intention is to keep Mazda3 at more than 400,000, but CX-5 could exceed it in future. It's not a plan, but my hope."

Interestingly, Mazda expects to eventually sell just 150,000 examples of its smaller new CX-3 baby SUV each year worldwide, including up to about 1500 in Australia, which would make it the nation's top-selling compact SUV and Mazda Australia's third best seller behind the Mazda3 and CX-5.

"In three years I don't expect to see any aging factor on CX-5," said Moro.

"My gut feel is that CX-5 will have higher sales volume than CX-3 because of the segment size. CX-3 is still [in] a developing segment, but I'm sure globally it will grow in time."

The next growth stage in Mazda's SUV line-up will come with the redesigned CX-9 within two years – about the same timeframe in which BMW Australia expects its SUV sales to match its car sales.