New Mazda2 diesel eco-car headed for the road

The Mazda2 (Mazda Demio in Japan) was recently named Japan Car of the Year. 

The Mazda2 for the Thai market will sport a 1.5-litre diesel engine, allowing it to enjoy Eco-Car Phase 2 privileges. It will become the first and only eco-car model to have a diesel power plant. 

Production of the all-new Mazda2 commenced in September at the Auto Alliance (Thailand) plant, Mazda’s second global facility, after production started in July at the Hofu plant in Japan. The company’s latest plant, Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO), began producing the car in Mexico on October 21. 

The AAT plant is a joint venture between Mazda and Ford and has a production capacity of 275,000 vehicles per year. The new production facility at AAT will produce approximately 160,000 Mazda2s per year, making Thailand the production and export hub for the car. A new transmission plant built with an investment of Bt11 billion will also be pumping out 400,000 automatic gearboxes for Mazda vehicles annually. This is the first Mazda transmission plant outside Japan. 

In recent years, Mazda has introduced a series of vehicles featuring innovative Skyactiv technology, and the company expects its Skyactiv models to account for 85 per cent of global sales by the fiscal year ending March 2016. Mazda’s Skyactiv vehicles are enjoying strong sales across the global, and in response to growing demand, the company will increase production capacity at MMVO to 250,000 vehicles annually by the fiscal year ending March 2016.The automaker is working to establish a “global production footprint”, one of four key initiatives laid out in the Structural Reform Plan announced in February 2012. The start of production of the all-new Mazda2 at MMVO, the beginning of operations of an engine machining plant, and a planned production capacity increase represent major steps forward for the automaker. MMVO’s engine-machining plant adopts the same advanced production technologies as Mazda’s Hiroshima plant, ensuring an engine-parts processing line that is both efficient and capable of producing a diverse range of vehicles. 

“With the start of production of the all-new Mazda2, operations underway at the engine-machining plant, and an increase in our annual production capacity, we now have an even stronger production framework capable of supplying global markets with Skyactiv vehicles of the same high quality level as those made in Japan,” MMVO president Keishi Egawa said. “At the same time, we are pleased to be able to make a contribution to Mexico’s further economic growth.”