With new three and four-door 323 models to be launched in a month's time and new 626 four-door, five-door and estate models due to go on sale in the UK between June and the autumn coupled with an expanded fleet sales team Mazda is bidding for corporate sales of more than 14,000 this year. Last year final Mazda corporate sales were expected to be almost 12,000 units out of total sales of 25,500 and by the year 2000 the company is bidding for 40,000 UK sales with a 50-50 fleet/retail split.

Mazda is firmly gearing its sales to the user-chooser sector where it believes its combination of low depreciation, good wholelife costs and three-year warranty will appeal to fleet managers while the ability of its cars to 'stand out from the crowd' will appeal to company car drivers. This year's corporate sales drive comes a year after Mazda established a corporate sales department.

In March a series of eight regional ride and drive days will give existing and potential corporate buyers a chance to sample the new models plus the remainder of the Mazda range ahead of the Fleet Motor Show at Silverstone from April 29-May 2. Hopes are high that the new 626 will be previewed here.