I'm not nearly as optimistic about Mazda as the article indicates.
The CX3 has been selling very poorly with no bottom in sight - it's simply too cramped inside for it's exterior dimensions. The CX-30 is a nice car but is going to get its teeth kicked in by models coming from Hyundia and Kia, particularly the Seltos. The CX-5 is class-leading, but the goalposts are moving with great hybrid options from both Honda and Toyota which are faster and get much better fuel mileage. (And the Rav4 is getting a plug-in option!) The CX-9 is s small-inside crossover that competes in a segment where interior space is king and has rapidly fell behind the field, particularly against the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade.
It's worse with respect to sedans. 6 sales are declining even faster than sedan sales and the Accord and Camry are stiff competitors with new sporty options like the Camry TRD. The 3, despite being brand new, is widely viewed to be just a little behind the competition and the class-leader in this segment, the Corolla, has really upped their game.
The Miata has no competition, but is in a segment with minuscule sales.
In so many ways, Mazda just seems to be treading water with old technology - the lack of turbo motors in anything other than the most high-end models, the antiquated six-speed transmission, obsolete infotainment systems, etc. And it appears they've squandered their limited R&D on dead ends like the diesel and Skyactive-X.
In general, I love Mazdas and perhaps their move upscale to straddle the fence between mainstream and upmarket will be a horse they can ride for awhile. But this depends on changing the market's perception of who Mazda is and what the represent. Re-inventing a company from "Zoom-Zoom" to "Japanese Audi" is something that could take a LONG time.
Not optimistic at all.
- Mark