NEWS

MAZDA dealers have once again emerged as the nation’s best for customer satisfaction it has been revealed. The marque and its dealers topped the automotive sector of the latest UK customer satisfaction index with a score of 83.3 percent, well above the car industry average of 78.4 percent, and up on July 2010 when Mazda [...]

MAZDA is embracing the ecommerce opportunities available through the power of social media it’s been announced. The firm is offering a 20 per cent discount on all Mazda MX-5s and the chance to win an MX-5 Miyako special edition for five months through Facebook Deals, part of Facebook Places. The deal can be found at five [...]

DEALERS and staff have taken part in training analysis to aid the Mazda Academy launch new training modules. 156 dealers and more than 1,350 customer-facing staff including sales, service and parts personnel took part in the analysis. This allowed the Academy to identify a series of optional and recommended training modules. ‘We now have six [...]

MAZDA UK has been was awarded a special achievement award by the Welsh Motoring Writers. The firm was awarded the inaugural Automotive Achievement Award at the annual Welsh Motoring Writers Dinner. The award was presented to Mazda for its corporate excellence in the automotive sector by Gwynedd’s Lord Lieutenant. Mazda UK’s managing director, Jeremy Thomson, [...]

HODGSON Mazda is undergoing a towering redevelopment programme to the tune of £3.5m. The Gateshead site will have a new addition in the form of an ‘AutoPod’ – an eight storey glass tower than can display 32 cars. Cars in the tower are moved around using a computer-controlled lift to deliver vehicles to the right [...]

MAZDA is extending its successful small fleet programme to a further 20 franchise dealers. Launched earlier this year, the Business Development Programme sees dealers working with outsourced specialist sales teams. Mazda’s fleet director Peter Allibon, said: ‘The feedback from the first wave of dealers has been very positive. ‘They are delighted that a frontline vehicle [...]

THE way Mazda UK manages its dealers is a blueprint for Europe, said sales chief Martin Benders. The Europe chief wants other countries to adopt the ‘partnership’ approach which is also used successfully in his native Australia. ‘We have had a long-standing and successful partnership with our dealers in Australia which has allowed them to [...]

MAZDA’S RX-8 is the latest model to have time called on it because of Euro 5 emissions regulations. To help shift the remaining stocks – less than 100 are left in the Mazda dealer network – it’s throwing equipment at it. The 2010 RX-8 R3 model costs £25,540 and includes improved Recaro seats, Bluetooth, BOSE [...]

AFTER the incredible highs of selling our Hyundai i10 World Cup car for £3,005 more than we paid for it… … you’ll have to forgive the lack of an update on our 911 for 2011 campaign. But just because we’ve been celebrating for the last week doesn’t mean our attempt to turn £0 into a [...]

WATERS Mazda has become of the UK’s first dealers to use new touchscreen technology for info-hungry car buyers. The cashpoint-style computers can be used by those OUTSIDE the showroom as well as indoors! It’s perfect technology for a city centre dealer such as Waters, said Mazda sales director Mark Cameron. ‘Waters is a high street [...]

MAZDA has again topped the bi-annual UK Institute of Customer Service satisfaction survey. It came out ahead of Honda and BMW MINI. The big survey polls 26,000 people every 6 months to come up with the UK Customer Satisfaction Index. Mazda topped the list of car makers with a UKCSI of 80.6 percent. The top [...]

MAZDA has sealed a deal with Equity direct enabling dealers to offer car insurance on new and used motors. The 3 year deal gives a boost to both dealers and customers, says Mazda UK sales director Mark Cameron. ‘Equity demonstrates the online expertise and high levels of customer service we look for when selecting a [...]

MAZDA has rebranded its franchise dealer used car scheme, which is now known as Mazda Approved Used Cars. The rebranding has been driven by more customers being willing to buy online. It replaces ‘Zoom Zoom +’ and the majority of the Mazda UK dealer network has already signed up. Mazda says it has invested big [...]

VERTU Motors directors have said taking on the group’s first Mazda franchise has pleasantly proven a ‘big surprise’. Last year, it took on 3 Mazda franchises by buying dealers in Redditch and Cheltenham from receivers handling Brooklyn Motors assets. Since then, volumes have taken operations director David Crane by surprise, not least because Vertu has [...]

VERTU has acquired Ford and Mazda dealers in Scotland through the purchase of Shields Automobiles assets. The purchase of the dual car dealers in Glasgow and Hamilton is expected to take place on 30 June. The properties will be leasehold, with maximum consideration payable of £2.5m and this will be settled in cash from existing [...]

MAZDA says its current car dealer network offers the strongest coverage in its 42-year UK history with 160 franchises. This means Mazda is believed to boast a record-low ‘unfilled territory’ score of just three open points. It comes following the opening of 20 new car dealers over the past year. This is despite the challenges [...]

IT’S all about fast cars in this week’s Car Dealer video with the new Porsche GT2 RS getting top billing. Our man Alex Goy has also been taking a look at the very fast, and very orange, BMW M3 GTS and chuckles at a Volvo safety demonstration that went a little bit wrong. And lastly [...]

MAZDA says its average return on sales for car dealers is 50 percent higher than the national UK average. A growing retail mix of car buyers is helping car dealers make more money from each sale. The brand has just announced that its fiscal year sales have broken the 50k barrier for only the second [...]

MAZDA is launching a simple post-scrappage deal for customers that eliminates the need for a trade-in motor. This, says Mazda director Mark Cameron, ‘ensures anyone who wants to buy a new Mazda can benefit from a great deal’. To remove ‘discrimination’ now scrappage funds have run out, the firm plans to market a range of [...]

LIFESTYLE Europe car dealer group has reported report record sales and success during 2009. Things will continue in 2010 too, say bosses, with the opening of Lifestyle Mazda Eastbourne. It’s the group’s third Mazda franchise in as many years – and pairs up with the Lifestyle Renault car dealer that was opened adjacent to the [...]