Mazda Motor has begun production of the new Mazda CX-3 compact crossover vehicle at its assembly plant in Rayong, Thailand.

This is the second worldwide production location of the model, after it went into production at the Hiroshima head office plant in Japan last December.

The Rayong plant is controlled by AutoAlliance (Thailand), a joint venture between Mazda and its strategic partner Ford Motor.

The Thai-made CX-3, which the company says will be of the same quality of those produced in Japan, will be sold locally from November 10 and exported throughout the ASEAN region thereafter.