Mazda's 'Takeri' 6 commences production
Company CEO Yamanouchi on hand to mark occasion as Euro-spec petrol wagon rolls off the lineThe new Mazda6 has officially achieved production status, with the company celebrating the first of the new-generation model to be completed by the factory yesterday.
Based on the Takeri concept car shown at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, the new Mazda6 is larger than the current model sold here and is expected to arrive in Australia at some point during the next 12 months. As we've reported previously, there'll no longer be a liftback body style in the range, but sedan and wagon soldier on, with the possibility of a coupe-like variant to follow.
Earmarked for a European market, the first vehicle produced by the factory was a wagon, powered by the SKYACTIV-G petrol engine, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder. 500 people attended Mazda's Hofu Plant No. 2 in Yamaguchi prefecture to witness the arrival of the new '6' at the end of the production line.
"I am deeply moved that production of the third generation Mazda6, the flagship model of our new-generation vehicles, starts in such an important year for us," said Takashi Yamanouchi, Mazda CEO (centre of picture). "It is the 30 year anniversary of the start of operations here in the Nishinoura district of the Hofu Plant and the 10th anniversary of the start of production of the first-generation Mazda6, back in 2002. That first Mazda6 debuted as an embodiment of Mazda's brand message, Zoom-Zoom, and its success led to great improvement in our brand image.
"The new Mazda6 that starts rolling off the line today features both SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and KODO - Soul of Motion design. Its development represents the very best of our engineering capability and our uncompromising attention to detail. Let's all work together to promote the new Mazda6, to make it a model that gains the support of customers all over the world and leads the Mazda brand to new level."
Mazda plans to build 120,000 units of the new car per annum. The global launch for the new car is scheduled to take place at the Moscow International Automobile Salon, 2012, opening from August 29.
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