Thailand – The automatic transmission is now being mass-produced at the newly established Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing Thailand (MPMT), which has an annual capacity of 400,000 units. Together, MPMT and Hofu Plant in Japan will provide Mazda with a global capacity of 1,540,000 units.
“We’ve made great efforts to ensure the manufacture of high-quality units at MPMT, including sending more than 30 engineers and managers to Mazda’s plants in Hiroshima and Hofu,” explained Hidenori Kawakami, MPMT president and CEO. “Start of mass production here means that Mazda has succeeded in establishing a global production structure capable of supplying SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmissions of the same high quality of those we make in Japan.”
The establishment of a global production footprint is a mainstay of Mazda’s Structural Reform Plan, announced in February 2012. The company regards MPMT as “another important milestone” in its strategy. Transmissions produced at the plant will supply facilities worldwide including Auto Alliance, also in Thailand, for use in the new Mazda2 (Mazda Demio) and Mazda3 (Mazda Axela), plus the Mazda CX-5.
Mazda says the introduction of vehicles equipped with SKYACTIV Technology is progressing on schedule, and expects such models to account for over 85% of sales by fiscal year ending March 2016.