We opened the interview by asking Ricky what he thinks defines Mazda and how it is currently positioned within Indonesia’s automotive industry.

“Mazda is a Japanese brand, but more importantly Mazda is a company that takes pride in its Japanese origins. Rooted in Japanese culture, Mazda is inspired by its habits, lifestyle and philosophy, our products are guided by Japanese principles.”

Mazda competes with a multitude of Japanese car manufacturers in the Indonesian automotive industry, but the company believes that utilizing Japanese principles sets them apart from their rivals; using concepts such as JINBA-ITTAI to refine the bond between its drivers and their vehicles, and Kodo to guide its design language which evokes a sense of graceful energy in their products.

The Mazda brand has been around since the 1980s in Indonesia, and they have carried this philosophy from the very beginning. Moreover, the company has recently shifted its focus in highlighting Mazda’s identity as a premium Japanese brand.

“Our image as a premium Japanese brand can be seen in our attention to detail to what our customers can see, feel and touch from our cars. They can see our Japanese influence in how our cars are designed with the guidance of Kodo philosophy, and they can feel or touch the superb quality of our car’s performance and interiors which is shepherded by the JINBA-ITTAI principle. Our priority is attention to detail and commitment to quality that is guided by these principles; this is the difference between Mazda’s ‘premium feel’ compared with our rivals,” added Ricky.

Mazda is known for its high-quality vehicles and innovative design, and this is exemplified by their "backbone" products, the Mazda CX-5 and CX-3. Mazda is built to provide superior performance, comfort, and safety to their owners, and they have consistently received high ratings and reviews from industry experts and consumers alike.

In addition to their backbone products, Mazda also offers a range of premium vehicles like the Sedan series and Medium to Large SUV. These cars showcase the company's commitment to excellence in design, comfort, and performance, and they are built to meet the needs of discerning customers who demand the very best.

In regard to his mission as the leader of Mazda Indonesia, Ricky Thio’s focus is simple; he wants to stay true to the guiding principles of the brand to the best of his ability, not to stray away from Mazda’s identity but to strengthen it here in Indonesia, reiterating all the core philosophies to his work force here and the products they offer in which the introduction of their new headquarters plays a monumental part.

Mazda Motor Indonesia first began its operations in 2006, but the company unfortunately had to close down 10 years later in 2016, which prompted Eurokars Motor Indonesia being appointed as Mazda Corporation’s new official and only Indonesian Trademark-Holding Agent, establishing the existence of the brand-new Mazda Indonesia in 2017.

This development was only made possible through the efforts of Karsono Kwee, founder and executive chairman of Eurokars Group. Founded in 1986 and based in Singapore, Eurokars Group is a leading distributor of luxury automotive brands in the asian region, including Indonesia. With over three decades of experience, Mazda Corporation saw the company as the best fit to lead the distribution of Mazda in Indonesia, resulting in the creation of the subsidiary Eurokars Motor Indonesia, which manages the new Mazda Indonesia.

Being handed this responsibility, Eurokars Group and Karsono Kwee made it a top priority to support the development of Mazda Indonesia, while also making sure that the corporate identity of Mazda Corp is retained in this new entity without diluting its own essence. The opening of this new headquarters is a commitment to that mission, aligning with the Mazda brand’s focus on quality and premium feel, which will also solidify Mazda Indonesia’s presence in the industry and strengthen its identity as a separate brand from Eurokar Group’s reputation as a luxury distributor. The new headquarters serves as both a beacon and benchmark for the Mazda culture and quality, with high hopes from all parties involved that this new headquarters will become synonymous with Mazda's existing brand in Indonesia.

It is also worth mentioning that when they assumed the operations of Mazda Motor Indonesia, Karsono Kwee made the conscious effort to hire all of the employees and integrate them instead of acquiring replacements.

Ricky Thio further elaborates on the special combination of Eurokars Group with Mazda. “There is strong synergy between the two companies. Both share a vision and Eurokars Group understands Mazda’s value proposition for its customers. Mazda is very marketing-oriented and rather than stray away from that, Karsono Kwee and Eurokars Group encourage the same practices to be applied in Indonesia too, creating a cohesive identity between Mazda Indonesia and the greater Mazda brand.”

The two companies have had a very successful journey since 2017, with Ricky Thio commenting that there has been little to no friction on ideologies between them.

“From the very beginning Eurokars Group recognizes that Mazda has a distinct identity and a set of Japanese philosophies that they are committed to. So when we first started, Eurokars Group and Karsono Kwee decided that Mazda Corp should be the ones heavily guiding us, instead of the other way around, giving Mazda Indonesia freedom to work on its own terms rather than being limited to Eurokars Group’s ways. Mazda Indonesia is inspired by Mazda Corporation’s corporate identity, but is influenced by Eurokars Group. We even use only blacks, whites and wooden accents in decorating the headquarters, a far cry from Eurokars Group’s yellow focused aesthetics,” added Ricky jovially.

Since Ricky Thio started his position as managing director in 2020, he has faced immense challenges, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic which was a severe blow to the automotive industry.

“Over-stocking was the main issue we faced, so we had to reflect a lot and take a deep look into our operations. This led us to figure out ways to increase our efficiency and divert our focus into quality rather than quantity, putting customer trust and care into the forefront. We also accelerated our streams of information, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, which made members of our company much more active and hands on, me included. And this behavioral shift reverberates till today, past the pandemic, making this the strongest iteration of Mazda Indonesia so far,” commented Ricky Thio.

With an increase in results as early as 2021, which is still going strong, Mazda Indonesia and Ricky Thio are optimistic about the future of the industry and where Mazda Indonesia will go next. Finally, when asked about their prediction of the Indonesian automotive industry in the future and how Mazda will respond, Ricky Thio answered with the following.

“We notice that with the existence of digital platforms, consumers are becoming more educated regarding their options now. We also recognize that there is a behavioral shift in the market, where cars are now prevalently seen as more than just a means of transportation; it is also a representation of the driver’s identity. So we think that consistency and authenticity to Mazda’s values are more relevant now than ever. People are more critical of not just the product, but what it also represents and what values its company upholds. Because we believe that it all comes down to the relationship between the car and its driver, again, JINBA-ITTAI. So if we stay true to our principles and we present our values to the customers, with the trajectory of the industry now, we are confident that volume will come. Which is why this new headquarters is immensely important. It serves as a cultural and information hub, as our home that represents our commitment to the people and to our values.”