Shanghai (ZXZC)- Mazda's China retail sales edged down 1.6% from a year earlier to 20,634 units in January 2021, the Japanese automaker announced on Feb. 5.

The decrease wholly resulted from a double-digit sales decline confronting FAW-Mazda. The joint venture with FAW Group delivered 6,239 vehicles last month, which were 17.2% fewer than that of the year-ago level.

As of Jan. 2021, FAW Mazda' monthly deliveries had represented two-digit year-on-year decline for the sixth month in a row.

With 14,395 vehicles delivered, Changan Mazda accounted for nearly 70% of Mazda's China retail sales in January. It also recorded a 7.2% year-on-year increase, posting upward movement in monthly deliveries for seven consecutive months.

Mazda3 Axela; photo credit: Changan Mazda

As for specific models, the Mazda3 Axela from Changan Mazda was still the best-selling with 9,693 units delivered in Jan., much more than the totals of the Mazda CX-4 (3,304 units) and the Mazda6 Atenza (2,935 units) from FAW-Mazda.

According to previous local reports, Changan Mazda was about to reduce the output of the CX-8 to 15,000 units per year and introduce an all-new SUV code-named J59E instead. Based on the CX-30, the new BEV is said to accelerate from zero to 100km/h within only 8.3 seconds. With a planned annual capacity of 5,000 vehicles, the project may be completed in June 2021.

Mazda CX-4; photo credit: FAW-Mazda

Mazda Motor was considering cutting its global output by a 34,000 vehicles in February and March due to a chip shortage, Reuter reported earlier this week, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

According to the persons, the company planned to reduce its domestic output of the CX-5 by around 3,900 vehicles this month. It was also mulling over an output cut in Japan, China and Mexico for the Mazda3 and the CX-30 models.