Toyota, Mazda announce long-term collaboration

By leveraging the resources of both companies to complement and enhance each other’s products and technologies, the partnership will result in more appealing cars that meet the diverse needs and tastes of customers all over the world, the two Japanese automakers said.

A joint committee will be set up to evaluate how best to utilise each company’s respective strengths. The committee will encourage broad and meaningful collaboration across a range of fields, including environmental and advanced safety technologies.

Marking the agreement, Toyota president Akio Toyoda said in a news release that as evidenced by its SkyActiv technologies and "KODO – Soul of Motion" design, Mazda had proved that it always thinks of what is coming next for vehicles and technology, while still managing to stay true to its basic car-making roots. In this way, Mazda very much practises what Toyota holds dear: making ever-better cars, he said.

"I am delighted that our two companies can share the same vision and work together to make cars better. I can think of nothing more wonderful than showing the world – together – that the next 100 years of cars will be just as fun as the first," Toyoda said

Mazda president and chief executive officer Masamichi Kogai said Toyota was a company that had shown steadfast resolve in acting responsibly on global environmental issues and the future of manufacturing as a whole.

"I also have tremendous respect for Toyota’s dedication in its pursuit of ever-better cars through ongoing innovation. Furthermore, Mazda identifies with the way Toyota cherishes its roots and all of the communities it is involved in. It is no wonder they are held in great esteem in return.

"I hope that by working together to make cars better, we can raise the value of cars in the eyes of consumers while also enhancing the manufacturing capabilities of our home, Hiroshima, and all the communities we are involved in as well," Kogai said.

Previous collaboration between Toyota and Mazda has included the licensing of Toyota’s hybrid technologies to Mazda and the production of compact cars for Toyota at Mazda’s plant in Mexico.

Toyota and Mazda said they recognised that there was considerable overlap between Mazda’s corporate philosophy of bringing joy to people through vehicles and Toyota’s commitment to making ever-better cars, as well as its dedication to company-wide structural reforms to realise true competitiveness and sustainable growth.

This latest agreement will go beyond the traditional framework of cooperation, aiming instead to create a whole new set of values for cars through wide-ranging medium-to-long-term collaboration, they said.