In the MPV market, despite a national fall-off in this sector, Mazda 5 sales are up by 39% since January. And the MX-5, which is the bestselling roadster in the world, has had a sales jump of 181%, with 166 models sold to the end of June.

David McGonigle, managing director, said the new company's policy of competitive pricing and a good model line-up was attracting more customers to a rejuvenated and more focused dealer network. Innovative marketing and the driving dynamics and reliability of the brand models would continue to drive sales up, he predicted.

The target is a 3% market share in the midterm.

Sales will be helped with the arrival of two new models, the dramatically styled Mazda 2, which will sell in the B segment where 18% of all new cars are sold, and the all new CX-7, which will give Mazda access to the premium SUV market for the first time in a number of years.

The company also had a sales peak of 2.7% of the new-car market in January as cars with higher specification hit the forecourts