The all-new Mazda3 is rolling off the assembly line at the AutoAlliance Thailand plant. Located 140km southeast of Bangkok in Rayong Province, it is now the third facility to produce the all-new compact after Hofu, Japan and Salamanca, Mexico. Output is earmarked for the Thai market, where it recently went on sale.

“AutoAlliance Thailand is one of Mazda’s most important production facilities in terms of future growth. Thailand is the centre of our business in the ASEAN region and the start of production of the SKYACTIV-equipped Mazda3 indicates that our business has begun a new stage in this country,” said Mazda Motor Corporation President and CEO Masamichi Kogai during a ceremony at the plant. “We want Mazda cars to enrich people’s lives. We want our customers to feel connected to Mazda by a special bond, and to become an irreplaceable presence in their life. Together with our business partners, dealers and suppliers, we will continue to grow our business while at the same time contributing to the development of Thailand’s automobile industry.”

Mazda produced 12,661 previous generation Mazda3s between 2011 and January 2014 at the Rayong plant, where the company also manufactures Mazda2 subcompacts and Mazda BT-50 pickups for the Asia-Pacific region. More than 4 million Mazda3s have been sold globally since it was first introduced in 2003. Besides its ultra-efficient lightweight SKYACTIV Technology, the main features of the new third-generation Mazda3 include its sporty yet elegant KODO exterior, brand-new interior MZD Connect in-car connectivity system and
i-ACTIVSENSE range of cutting-edge active safety technology.