Mazda Australian profits more than doubled to $72.3 million in its latest financial year, and are continuing to accelerate, with the Japanese brand strengthening its hold as the No.2 player across the entire market. 
Mazda Australia managing director Martin Benders says a combination of highly appealing models across the range, many of which had updates through the year, plus an enthusiastic network of 128 dealers have helped the brand's market share in Australia reach 10 per cent, the highest for any country in which Mazda operates.
That includes Mazda's home market of Japan.
The momentum is speeding up further. "Our products are hitting the spot," he told Fairfax Media.
Financial accounts lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission show that Mazda Australia made a net profit after tax of $72.3 million for the 12 months ended   March 31, 2015, up from $34.7 million a year earlier. Sales revenue was up 4.99 per cent to $2.55 billion. Profit before tax was $104 million, in contrast to $49.97 million the year before. 
The strong sales and profits at Mazda Australia have continued in the past few months following the end of the local arm's financial year. "We're about 17 per cent ahead," he says of the results for the six months to   September 30, 2015.
Mr Benders, who became managing director of Mazda Australia in   May, 2013, says the parent company kept re-investing during the GFC which meant a range of new technology was introduced across the range, and this had kept resonating with buyers in Australia, putting it ahead of rivals.
"The others were just re-skinning old products," Mr Benders says.
Mazda has always run an importer-only business model in Australia and its sales surge comes as three of its major rivals, Ford, Toyota and Holden prepare to shut down car manufacturing, with a major knock-on impact to automotive parts makers.
Airbag components maker Toyoda Gosei, based in suburban Edwardstown in Adelaide, has told the South Australian Government it will also shut by 2017, with the loss of 150 jobs. About 20 components makers, including Futuris, have indicated they will exit, with South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill on Monday stepping up calls for more Federal Government transition assistance.
Official VFACTS figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries last week showed Mazda had sold a record 10,864 new vehicles in   September. On a year-to-date basis, Mazda sales are up 11.7 per cent with total new vehicle sales at 85,977 for the nine months of calendar 2015.
Mazda had four of its models in the top 20 selling new vehicles in Australia. The No.2-selling new car in Australia in   September was the Mazda3, while the Mazda CX-5 Sports Utility Vehicle was at No.7. The biggest selling single model was Hyundai's i30. Toyota is still the top-selling overall brand in Australia but Mazda's strong surge has taken it to a clear No.2 in the market this year. It was sitting at No.4 this time a year ago.
Mr Benders says the CX-5 is the most popular SUV in Australia. The market for SUV's, sometimes known as Toorak Tractors, has been expanding fast in Australia and now makes up about one third of all new vehicle sales.