The slogan “The Car In front of you is always a Toyota” by CFAO Motors has been true for generations in Kenya. Anyone wanting to buy a car, be it new or used, had one thing in mind – a Toyota.
The car brand is still a force to reckon with, holding a combined market share of more than 70% together with Isuzu, according to Focus To Move, an outfit by data professionals who track worldwide automotive sales.
But then, there’s one new kid in the block who’s making waves at the moment due to a variety of factors one of which being stylishness and pocket friendliness – Mazda.
When Mazda made an entry into the Kenyan market with its early Demio releases, especially the Mazda Demio II mini 5-door, 2002-2007, it got a bit of excitement.
The make was notably cheaper, looked sporty, had lots of space, a lower fuel consumption, and had a variety of attractive colours that certainly caught the eye of new, younger, vibrant first time buyers.
Toyota Vitz spoils Mazda Demio party
It was hardly surprising that Toyota responded with a Vitz, which practically went head to head with the Demio II, slightly edging it out due to a more superior design and largely brand trust and recognition.
However, the Mazda brand kept coming with newer makes and even more aggressive attempts to make a headway into the Kenya auto industry which has been firmly in the grip of Toyota, Isuzu and Nissan.
An X user (formerly Twitter) by the name LeRoy made this interesting post recently: “Mazda is that ‘ex’ you left because she has no boory (sic), look at her now!”
Indeed, the Mazda comeback in Kenya is taking the auto market by storm.
On any given road in the capital Nairobi, for every 10 cars you’ll count, it’d be impossible to miss at least two Mazda makes. And going by the many Mazda groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Reddit, it’s indicative that the brand is gaining traction.
Some of the popular makes includes the CX series, Atenza, Demio, and Axela.
Mazda CX-5 turns out to be a head turner
In many of the posts, users can’t seem to get enough of the wildly popular Mazda CX-5. Following through with the conversations, one gets the impression that the rise in popularity of this head-turner of a car could be the phasing out of the Toyota Rav4 with the iconic rear spare wheel.
For many years, the Rav4 with the iconic rear spare wheel was practically the obvious choice for many of second time car buyers, especially the middle class who sought to upgrade from their ‘humble’, long-suffering first cars. The Rav4 with the rear spare wheel looked bigger, classy and a form of status for many Kenyans.
But then the makers, according to this report on Fox News, made the decision to discontinue with the iconic rear back wheel that the customers had grown to love.
Then Mazda CX-5 made the entry and took the country by storm. A colleague who was looking to buy one said he found it resembling a combination of Mercedes Benz E class and the Toyota Rav4, but commented that it looked a lot sportier and fun, with many attractive colours especially the red, blue and pink.
He went on to pick the dark blue one and he says it turns heads.
In Summary
The Mazda cars in Kenya have had a long journey. For a name that the company says means ‘God of light’ in Japanese, and with a profitable partnership with the Ford between 1960s-2015, the brand has had a considerable impact in rethinking car ownership, going all the way to those in the lower economy in ensuring they get a taste of grace, style and class in motion.
– The author is a journalist with a leading Kenyan Media outlet
