Mazda takes Trans-Siberian Railroad Ride for Russian Buyers

When you’re the biggest country in the world, getting something from one end to the other can be a complicated chore.

Western Russia is a hungry market for Japanese cars, but getting the cars there gives Japanese automakers fits. First you take a boat to Germany, and then another boat to Finland and then a long jaunt inland to the destined markets—a trip that totals about 40 days. Talk about overhead.

It’s a fairly straight shot, getting cars from Japan to Russia, but then you have all that land in-between standing in the way. So after building a few more terminals and hundreds of tests, Mazda has announced that they’re ready to begin shipping via the Trans-Siberian Railroad. They will be the first major manufacturer to do so.

The Trans-Siberian Railroad spans 5,791 miles across Russia. Mazda hopes to ship 9,000 vehicles via the rail line in the next year. This method of shipping will cut transport times by about 30 days compared to boat.

You don’t run to where there is profit to be made; you dash. Western Russia should be ready for an influx of Mazda3s, CX-7s and CX-9s.



via Motor Trend