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NEWS
Aussie-spec Mazda2 enters production
Mazda's Thai plant is officially cranking out the new hatch ahead of a late October launch hereAustralia is at the head of the queue for the Mazda2 being built by the Auto Alliance (Thailand) plant.
AAT is a joint venture facility building cars and commercials for Mazda and Ford. It has been tasked with building the new Mazda2 for Australia, and the first examples to be assembled there are now headed for our shores. After the first shipment arrives in Australia, AAT will move on to supplying other ASEAN and Pacific markets.
The new light hatch has already been driven by motoring.com.au, in Japan for its global launch and has garnered praise for the gains made in refinement. That will be important in Australia's cut-throat light car segment, although the current model is holding up well in year to date sales for 2014. The second-generation model – soon to be superseded – is ahead of Toyota's Yaris, but remains runner-up to the Hyundai i20, which is over 1000 units ahead.
Mazda is clearly confident in the new 2, establishing a new production facility in Mexico, taking to three the number of plants building the Mazda2 around the world.
"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," said Masamichi Kogai, Mazda's Representative Director, President and CEO.
"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."
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Written byCarsales Staff
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