New Mazda Demio exceeds expectations in 1st month of Japan sales

This always seems to happen in Japan — a new model is formally announced (often right on the on-sale date), and after the ride’s first month in dealerships, the automaker will put out a release touting how it has surpassed the company’s sales expectations. It’s no different with the all-new Mazda Demio (a.k.a. Mazda2 in other markets), which had a lot going for it to begin with. It’s attractive and economical, and it’s also racking up orders — 15,000 between July 5 and August 5, to be exact. That’s a sight better than the 5,000 units Mazda says it forecasted for the diminutive hatchback. The automaker also reports that the Demio web site has been pulling in big traffic, which would seem to indicate that interest in the car is indeed very high. All we know is that our interest in it is very high, as is our feeling of disappointment, since we won’t be getting the Mazda2 here.