At the end of October, Mazda shipped the 2 millionth Mazda3 from its Hofu assembly plant in Japan. Also known as the Axela in other markets, the sedan and 5-door hatch have been international hits since their debuts five years ago. The compact has been sold in 101 countries and sales figures for the current model prove that it remains popular a half-decade later.
Mazda recently unveiled the second-generation 2010 Mazda3 with bolder exterior and a new 2.5L engine. Enthusiasts have welcomed the current iteration, especially the limited-edition Mazdaspeed3. SEMA has compiled a detailed consumer and purchasing profile for enthusiasts who own the current Mazda3 or its closest competitors, which include the Acura RSX, Honda Civic, Subaru Impreza WRX, Ford Focus, Scion tC and Volkswagen Golf.
For more original SEMA market research, please visit www.sema.org/research.