Tuesday 7 January 2014

Mazda3 production begins in Mexico

Mazda Motor Corporation has started production of the Mazda3 product at its new plant in Mexico.

The plant, named Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO), is located in Salamanca, in the state of Guanajuato. The first model to be produced was the all-new Mazda3 sedan for the US market.

Keishi Egawa, Mazda's managing executive officer in charge of the company’s new emerging market operation for Latin America and president and chief executive officer of Mazda Motor Manufacturing de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. said: "We have sent over 150 engineers and supervisors to Mazda's plants in Hiroshima and Hofu, in a bid to make every effort to ensure that we are manufacturing products of the highest quality at MMVO.”

"With the start of volume production, we now have a system capable of offering vehicles of the same high quality as those made in Japan, on a global scale, and that is extremely gratifying. We are committed to continue our efforts to contribute to the growth of Mexico's economy through the production of vehicles and the development of personnel who support and lead the automobile industry here," he added.

Mazda has sold approximately 180,000 vehicles in Mexico since it entered the market in 2005. The brand is highly regarded, and in 2013 sold a record 33,000 units.

In addition to the market in the USA, MMVO will produce the all-new Mazda3 for other countries in the Americas and for Europe.

In the future, Mazda intends to strengthen its production system in Mexico and expand the production model line-up to include the Mazda2.

Mazda established its MMVO unit in September 2011 as a joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation after entering the Mexican market in 2005.

 And in January last year the company announced plans to increase production capacity at MVVO to 230,000 units annually in the financial year ending March 2016.

This month production of vehicles at the plant has strated with the aim also in October of this year to begin operations at the engine machining facility.


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