SALES at Mazda UK are likely to plateau following years of rapid growth as the company protects residual values and consolidates its position in the market.

Jeremy Thomson, who becomes the firm’s sales director on August 1, said the company would not turn away opportunities to grow volume but dismissed chasing market share as ‘misguided’.

Mazda sales were 48,000 last year and are likely to remain at about 50,000 units, with 35% of sales to fleets. Thomson is moving from head of marketing and previously held the role of fleet and remarketing director, responsible for launching the brand into fleet sales.