Under Bermaz Motor, Malaysia is the only Mazda distributor / national sales centre in Southeast Asia to close the Hiroshima-based automaker’s financial year ending March 2024 (FY2024) on a positive note.

Although Mazda closed its FY2024 account books with its highest ever operating profit, surging 76 percent to reach 250.5 billion Yen (~RM 7.63 billion), most of the success was attributed to the USA, Europe, and China.

Southeast Asia is a headache for Mazda. Casual readers of business news would have the impression that Mazda is in trouble in China, because of intense competition from Chinese electric cars, but this is incorrect.

Mazda’s sales in China accelerated by a double-digit 15 percent, which is no small feat. The newly launched CX-50 hybrid and updated CX-5 are very well received in China, with sales reaching 97,000 units.

Meanwhile, sales in Southeast Asia declined 7 percent, to 72,000 units. The biggest decline was in Thailand, which saw sales dropping by 42 percent. Changes in financial lending guidelines had negatively impacted sales of the BT-50 pick-up truck. The ageing Mazda 2 is also losing ground to the newer Toyota Yaris and Honda City Hatchback.

Vietnam, another major Southeast Asian market for Mazda, saw zero growth, with sales flat lining at 29,000 units.

Bermaz Motor however, recorded a 20 percent increase in sales, reaching 19,000 units. Note that the figures are for Mazda’s financial year, not calendar year, covering April 2023 to March 2024.

This also means that Bermaz now ranks ahead of Mazda Thailand in the region's hierarchy of importance. With Malaysia's higher contribution to Mazda, Bermaz customers can benefit from potentially higher investment and resources allocated by Mazda Motor, which would in turn result in a better ownership experience for Mazda customers here.

Mazda’s best-selling model in Malaysia is the CX-5, followed closely by the CX-30. The Mazda CX-8 is third. It's the No.1 selling 3-row seat D-segment SUV, ranking ahead of the Proton X90.

All three models are locally assembled (CKD) at Mazda Malaysia’s (a joint venture between Mazda Motor and Bermaz Auto) own facility within the Inokom manufacturing campus in Kulim.