Mazda Demio hits record sales mark

Amid prolonged sluggishness in the domestic auto market, Mazda Motor Corp. said Wednesday that its popular five-door wagon Demio has hit record high monthly sales of 14,249 units in March, up 53.2 percent from the same period in 1997.

The model, first introduced to the Japanese market in August 1996, has been selling well at an average monthly volume of more than 7,000 units. However, it is unusual for any model that has been around that long to record such high sales, the firm said.

The Demio comes with either a 1.3-liter engine or a 1.5-liter engine. Mazda said that with many competitors introducing compact wagons recently, such as Nissan Motor Co.'s Cube, this segment of the market is expanding. Expansion of the market by its rivals may have brought new attention to the Demio, the firm said.