Mazda 3 and Ford Focus move production to Thailand from Philippines
Production of the Ford Focus and Mazda 3 in the ASEAN region may shift from the Philippines to Thailand following a $500 million factory expansion by Auto Alliance Thailand, according to well-placed sources.
The two compact cars would become the third pair of Ford/Mazda-related products to be made at the Thai plant. The other models made are the Ranger/BT-50 light trucks and the pending Fiesta/2 subcompacts, whose assembly start at the end of this year.
AAT, a 50/50 joint venture between Ford and Mazda, has more advanced facilities than the factory in the Philippines; one source said that it is only logical to move production of the cars to Thailand now that there is more assembly space.
Although the current 3 has already expired in most world markets and has been replaced with a second-generation model, sales of it here are likely to continue for another year.
As soon as Mazda ASEAN is ready to sell the new 3, its assembly could take place in Thailand, according to the source. A year later, in 2011, Ford would be gearing up to launch the third-generation Focus which, like the 3, will be sold in both sedan and hatchback forms.
In the past two years, passenger cars have suffered a smaller slump in sales than pickup trucks in Thailand, mainly because smaller vehicles have better fuel efficiency. Meanwhile, the country is experiencing a shift in motorization, in which many people are turning to cars instead of pickups or motorcycles.
The AAT factory's production capacity will increase to 275,000 units per year from 175,000, primarily serving export markets. The total investment of AAT is now worth $1.5 billion.
[Via: Edmunds]
Mazda has no plans for electric vehicles
Unlike just about every other automobile manufacturer at the North American International Auto Show, Mazda Motor Corp. is not actively developing electric vehicles and has no plans to do so. "We will not go somewhere unless its 'zoom-zoom,'" said Jim O'Sullivan, president of Mazda North America, referring to the company's catchphrase that is meant to emphasize the sportiness of everything it builds.
Mazda puts high-performance engines in most of its models - including its take on the minivan, the Mazda5. But they are either four- or six-cylinder motors. They may not be economical, but neither are they V-8s. And O'Sullivan says Mazda plans to achieve a 30 percent improvement in its fleet fuel economy by 2015 through things like weight reduction and increased engine efficiency.
[Via: autoincar]
Mazda 2 minorchange will be unveiled in Late 2009
Mazda Thailand will be launch the Mazda 2 minorchange codenmae J64G(5dr) and J64J(4dr) debut in Thailand at AAT thailand plant to fighting B-segment strategy,expect sale figure at more than 1,000 units/month instead of Pickup low hoping sale.
Maruti Suzuki to launch A-Star by month-end
Maruti Suzuki India is expected to launch its new small car - the A-Star - by the end of this month. But, unlike in Europe, where the car will replace the current Alto and take over that nameplate, in India, Maruti will continue to retain all of its current small car models.
Speaking to a selection of Indian mediapersons at the sidelines of the Paris Motor Show on Thursday, Mr Toshihiro Suzuki, Board Member and Senior Managing Executive Officer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan said that the company will continue to market all of its current small cars that are in its portfolio in India, including the Alto, Wagon-R and Zen Estilo.
He said that there are a variety of customers with varied expectations and having a wide range of cars enables the company to cater to the market's various price segments. Mr Suzuki also mentioned that the company will position the new A-Star just below the Suzuki Swift.
Speaking about the future of the Maruti 800, he said that it would be difficult to comment concretely on the future strategy of the company for its entry-level small car.
Mazda Kazamai Concept
Mazda has unveiled the first official images of the new Kazamai concept ahead of the car's official debut on August 26 at the Moscow International Auto Salon. In Japanese, "Kazamai" means "swirling crosswinds." In English, that means "Nagare-styled compact CUV."
[Via: Carsandmore]
Mazda Biante MPV launched in Japan
Mazda has released full details and photos of the earlier previewed new Mazda Biante MPV. Two engines are available with the Mazda Biante. The bigger of the two is a normally aspirated 2.3 liter DOHC engine, and the other is an improved version of Mazda's normally aspirated 2.0 liter engine featuring DISI direct injection. 2WD models come with a 5-speed auto, while the 4WD models come with a 4-speed auto. The 2.3 liter's 5-speed auto also adds sequential manual shifting.
Mazda hopes to sell 3,000 units of the new Mazda Biante every month. The Biante falls under the tall roof minivan segment much like the Nissan Elgrand and the Toyota Alphard. Tall roofs are desired by some families so that ingress and egress for those who have trouble bending down too much, especially the elderly. Mazda claims the Biante has the longest and widest interior (2,900mm long x 1,545mm wide x 1,350mm tall cabin dimensions) in the 2.0 liter minivan class.
