Production of the redesigned Mazda 2 (Demio in Japan) has begun at Auto Alliance (Thailand) (AAT) with initial output destined for Australia and New Zealand.
AAT will also produce the car for ASEAN countries and other Oceania markets.
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AAT is the second factory to start production after Hofu in Japan where output began last July. AAT, which also makes Ford models, began manufacturing the previous generation 2 in September 2009 and, by July 2014, had produced 182,663 units.
Australia imports Thai-built Japanese cars – also including Nissan, Honda and Toyota – because the two countries have a free trade agreement.
Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO), the new plant in Mexico, will begin producing the 2 this year, consolidating a global supply system. An OEM variant will be built for Toyota to sell in North America.
Mazda’s president and CEO, Masamichi Kogai, said: “It is a huge and challenging task to start production of a new model at three different plants around the world in such quick succession. We call Hofu Plant in Japan the ‘mother plant,’ and we are committed to ensuring that vehicles produced in Thailand and Mexico for our customers around the world are built to the same high quality standards as those in Japan.”
