????斯巴魯曾一度是日系品牌里的“丑小鴨”——不知道是否還有人記得曾經的Brat和Baja兩個車型。不過斯巴魯敏銳地抓住了緊湊跨界SUV的潮流，將跨界SUV的便利與四驅功能相結合，并用聰明的營銷手段加以包裝，沒幾年工夫，斯巴魯就占據了日系廠商中的第四把交椅，并且如今在美國市場中的所有汽車品牌中名列第十。

????相比之下，馬自達的表現最多也只能用“差強人意”四個字來形容。馬自達也曾經有過幾次輝煌的時刻，比如轉子發動機曾給它帶來的技術光環，財務危機時還曾獲福特“注血”。另外它的Miata跑車多年來長盛不衰，今年已經是推出的第25個年頭，是馬自達旗下的標志性車型。但是即便福特CEO馬克?菲爾茨曾在1999年至2002年間擔任馬自達日本公司的CEO，也不足以令馬自達更進一步。目前馬自達的銷量在美國汽車市場各大品牌中排名第16位。

????馬自達之所以缺乏沖勁，可以追溯到一系列原因上頭。首先是它的設計變動得太頻繁了，難以吸引主流消費者。其次是它的廣告又換得太不頻繁了。馬自達的所謂的Zoom-zoom理念自從2000年到現在就沒變過。

????近些年的各大經濟事件也沒有幫上馬自達的忙。另外，作為一個小型車專業戶，油價的不溫不火也給馬自達拖了后腿。此外馬自達的大多數車型都是在日本本土生產的，定價自然也受到了被高估的日元影響。

????馬自達在美國表現最好的一年還要追溯到1986年，當時美國總統還是里根，那一年它賣出了379,843臺車。最差的一年是2009年，也就是金融危機最嚴重的那一年。美國推出的“舊車換現金”刺激政策讓本土廠商大受其益，而馬自達當年只售出207,767臺車。

????現在馬自達雖然已經制定了雄心勃勃的銷量目標，但它是否已經充分做好了實現甚至打破這個目標的準備？說起來，馬自達還是有很多有利的方面：

????? 它的產品線平衡得比較好。在整個美國市場上，轎車和皮卡的銷量大致平分秋色，而馬自達的轎車和跨界車型的銷量也大致各占一半。

????? 馬自達的轎車和跨界車各有一根“臺柱子”：首先是緊湊級家轎馬自達3，一年前剛剛全面改款；其次是小型跨界SUV馬自達CX-5，其銷量在推出第二年后顯著提升。《人車志》雜志指出：“在產品方面，馬自達的出拳力度遠遠超出了它的重量級，它的成就讓人吃驚不已，就好比當年的道格拉斯居然擊敗了拳王泰森。”

????? 馬自達在其“流”設計理念（靈感取自風與水）失敗以后，又采取了“魂動”設計理念（試圖表現力量與速度的運動張力），事實證明“魂動”設計理念要更加受歡迎。馬自達車型的前臉也不再模仿魚嘴設計。

????? 另外馬自達還成功地改進了發動機、傳動和懸掛技術，以進一步優化燃油經濟性，并且給這套總成貼上了一個“藍天創馳技術”的標簽。

????不過還是有分析師對馬自達的發展前景表示懷疑，比如Edmunds.com的分析師喬納森?曼達尼奇指出：“馬自達憑借‘藍天創馳技術’，強調提高燃油效率，的確在近年來對該品牌起到了一定的幫助，但也只是勉強保持了馬自達的競爭力，而沒有起到繼續推動它向前發展的作用。”

????這個評語可能評價得很恰當。作為一個小廠商，必須能夠開發小眾市場。在這一點上，斯巴魯憑借四驅技術就做得相當不錯。另外寶馬也在各大豪華品牌中成長為有錢一族的寵兒。

????目前，馬自達已經成功躋身為汽車愛好者青眼有加的品牌。但它對潛在客戶的追逐斷斷續續不成章法，而且它拉攏消費者的能力也受到了渠道網絡的影響。要想朝著它的目標全速前進，它還得在那個10年不變的Zoom-zoom廣告之外另想新招。（財富中文網）

????譯者：樸成奎

????Once Japan’s ugly duckling—anybody remember the Brat or the Baja?—Subaru has capitalized on the boom in compact crossover SUVs by combining its proficiency in all-wheel drive with smart marketing. As a result, Subaru has climbed into a solid fourth place among Japanese manufacturers, and now ranks 10th among all brands in U.S. sales.

????In contrast, Mazda has, at best, been idling in neutral. Mazda has had its moments – the technology halo from the Wankel rotary engine, a financial lifeline from Ford Motor , a long-lived and a well-liked signature model in the Miata roadster, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Even Ford CEO Mark Fields’ stint from 1999 to 2002 as CEO of Mazda Japan wasn’t enough to get Mazda moving. It currently ranks 16th in U.S. sales.

????Mazda’s lack of momentum has stemmed from a variety of factors. It changed design strategies a bit too often to attract mainstream customers and didn’t change its advertising often enough. Its “zoom-zoom” tagline has been around since 2000.

????Larger economic events didn’t help. A small car specialist, Mazda has been held back by moderate gasoline prices and, with most of its manufacturing Japan-based, by the pricing demanded by the over-valued yen.

????Mazda’s best year in the U. S came back in 1986 when Ronald Reagan was president, when it sold 379,843 cars. The bottom came 2009 during the depths of the recent recession. While domestic manufacturers feasted on the Cash for Clunkers program, Mazda succeeded in selling just 207,767 cars.

????Is Mazda now ready to break out and hit the ambitious sales targets that have been set for it? It has many positives in its favor:

????? Its lineup is well-balanced. In an overall U.S. market where sales of cars and trucks are nearly evenly split, Mazda sells neatly as many crossovers as cars.

????? It has two tent-pole models, one for each side of the sales lot: The compact Mazda3, a peppy compact that was all new a year ago, and the CX-5, a small crossover whose sales have climbed sharply in its second year on the market. “Mazda is punching well-above its weight class when it comes to product,” wrote Car and Driver. ”Its achievements are nothing short of shocking, like Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson.”

????? After its ill-fated experiment with its Nagare (“inspired by wind and water”) design philosophy, it has adopted Kodo design (intended to embody the tension of power and speed in motion), which is proving more popular. The front ends of Mazda cars no longer resemble the mouths of fish.

????? And Mazda has successfully promoted a combination of engine, transmission and suspension technologies aimed at optimizing fuel economy by packaging them under the “Skyactiv” label.

????Yet analysts remain skeptical. “The company’s focus on increased efficiency with ‘Skyactiv Technology’ has helped the brand in recent years, but it has merely allowed Mazda to stay competitive rather than propel forward,” says Edmunds.com analyst Jonathan Mandanici.

????And that comment could apply as well to Mazda. As a small manufacturer, it has to be able to exploit niches. Subaru did that successfully with all-wheel drive and, among premium manufacturers, BMW has thrived as the makers of cars for well-heeled enthusiasts.

????To date, Mazda has succeeded in becoming the car company for car lovers. But its pursuit of potential customers has been inconsistent and its ability to reach them has been hampered by its distribution network. To get up to full speed, it will take more than zoom-zoom.