The carmaker says that from April to June it put more than 300 new vehicles on the UK's roads compared with 153 cars in the equivalent 2013/14 quarter.

As fleet demand for the new Mazda3, Mazda6 and Mazda CX-5 continues to escalate, it is expected that Mazda Contract Hire will beat 2013/14 business levels when a record 1,133 cars were leased, up 214% year-on-year, beating the previous best set seven years ago by 51%.

Mazda head of fleet Steve Tomlinson said the launch of more competitive lease rates by Mazda Contract Hire on the Mazda6 coupled with the early 2014 launch of the new Mazda3 had been instrumental in the rise in demand.

He added: ‘In the last 12 months demand for company cars through Mazda Contract Hire has gathered significant momentum and we see that continuing. As a result we anticipate 2014/15 to be another record year for the business.

‘Our entire dealer network is open for fleet business. In addition to the Fleet Specialist Dealers, the remainder of our network is increasingly recognising the importance of engaging with businesses in their surrounding areas.

‘Corporate sales should be a major component of our dealers' sales mix and Mazda Contract Hire, which delivers budgeted monthly motoring that is particularly important for SME businesses at a time when credit is tight, is a core channel for our dealer network.’

Last month saw the carmaker unveil its forthcoming Mazda2, said to bring ‘a winning combination of performance, fuel economy, safety and Mazda's patented driving fun’.