Mazda's profit jumped 7 percent in the October-December quarter as sales grew on the popularity of a remodeled compact and other vehicles in almost all regions, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. Fiscal third quarter profit at Mazda Motor Corp., an affiliate of Ford Motor Co., rose to 15.9 billion yen (US$149.3 million; ¤101.7 million) from 14.9 billion yen in the same quarter a year earlier. Quarterly sales surged 11 percent to 850 billion yen (US$7.98 billion; ¤5.43 billion) from 768.2 billion yen. Vehicle sales grew in China, Russia and other emerging markets, as well as in Europe, North America and Japan, the Hiroshima-based manufacturer said, according to a report of the Associated Press.
