Mazda Motor said it expected sales in the ASEAN region to rise by 24% to 95,000 in the fiscal year ending 31 March 2016, following a 22% rise in first-half sales to 46,000 units.
The company acknowledged that conditions remain tough in Thailand and Indonesia where its first-half sales were flat year-on-year. But markets such as Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia are more than making up for this.
The company began production of the CX-3 compact SUV at its AutoAlliance Thailand joint venture last month and will export it across the region.
The company also expects global sales to rise by 8% to 1.52m units in the current fiscal year. It attributes much of its performance improvement over the last few years to the launch of its first-generation SkyActiv engine technology.
A second generation of SkyActiv engines will be introduced from 2017. The company aims to increase global sales to 1.65m units by fiscal 2019.