Mazda Motor Corporation announced today that it is opening a new production facility in Mexico, and a sales company in Brazil, both in collaboration with Sumitomo. The Japanese manufacture proceeded with these moves in order to strengthen its presence in the rapidly growing Central and South American markets.
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. U.S. used car prices are up 30% over June 2010, in some cases besting Kelly Blue Book values by as much as 25%. Trade-ins are also up by 30% since this time last year. A variety of factors, including an economy still reeling from the Global Financial Crisis, high gas prices and the TÅhoku earthquake, are thought to be responsible for the massive price rise.
Given that are many buyers are not interested in the merits of all wheel drive when it comes to shopping crossovers, Mazda decided to expand the range of its 7-seater CX-9 in Australia with the addition of a front-wheel drive [FWD] only version available in a choice of two trim levels, Classic and Luxury. Power for the FWD CX-9 continues to be provided by a 3.7-liter V6 engine producing 204kW (274HP) and 367Nm, mated to a 6-speed Activematic transmission. As you would expect, the FWD version is a tad more fuel efficient than the AWD model returning 11.0 lt/100km instead of 11.2lt/100km.
Mazda has just released a refreshed version of its Demio sub-compact car in its home market of Japan. The big news for the 2012MY Demio, which we know here as the Mazda2, is the introduction of the brand new “13-SKYACTIV” model grade equipped with a suite of fuel-saving technologies most important of which is the “SKYACTIV-G 1.3” 1.3-liter direct-injection gasoline engine. The four-cylinder powerplant features a record high compression ratio of 14.0:1 and puts out 84-horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 112 Nm (82.6 lb-ft) of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. It is coupled to a standard Continuously Variable Transmission and according to the Japanese norms, it’s fuel economy is rated at 30km/lt (equal to 3.33 lt/100 km or 70.6 mpg US).
Just shy of 8 months ago, Mazda unwrapped its all-new BT-50 compact pickup truck in double-cab form at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney. Now, the Japanese automaker is preparing the next addition to its BT-50 family, the Freestyle Cab version featuring a similar door configuration to the firm’s four-door RX-8 coupe, which will also make its world premiere on Australian soil at the 2011 AIMS to be held in Melbourne from July 1 to 10.
For better or for worse, depending on which side of the line you are standing on, Mazda has confirmed rumors that it will stop building the Mazda6 at the AutoAlliance International (AAI) plant in Michigan, which it runs jointly with Ford, after the mid-size sedan's current cycle ends. The company said the Mazda6's replacement for the North American market will be produced at its Hofu Plant in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, adding that the decision was driven by the firm’s “ongoing efforts to increase global manufacturing efficiencies”.
Earlier in May, we told you about a report concerning Mazda’s plans to discontinue production of its Mazda6 mid-size model at its joint-venture plant with Ford in Michigan. Today, new reports from both Japan and the U.S. are claiming that Mazda Motors will dissolve its 50-50 joint venture with Ford and stop building cars in the USA by 2013, with the Japanese company already in talks with the Detroit automaker to sell its stake in their car production venture Auto Alliance International [AAI].
The numbers for U.S. auto sales for the month of May are out and as expected, Japanese automakers continue to be hit hard by the ongoing production disruptions caused by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in their home market. As a result, Toyota’s sales plunged 33.4% over the year-ago month to 108,387 units, while rivaling Honda saw its sales fall 22.5% to 90,773 vehicles, Nissan recorded a 9.1% drop to 76,148 units and Mazda 17,875 vehicles, down 20.9%. General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 221,192 vehicles in May posting a decline of 1%, while the Ford Motor Co. said its sales decreased by 0.1% to 192,253 cars, trucks and SUVs.
Australian inventor and all-round genius Dr David Warren is widely considered to be the father of the “black box” Flight Data Recorder (FDR). His invention helped make flying safer by giving investigators valuable insights into the mechanical goings-on of a crashed aircraft. What may surprise you is that for the last twenty years similar devices have been installed in our cars. Event Data Recorders (EDRs) are the automotive equivalent of an aircraft’s FDR. These devices record acceleration and deceleration forces, engine RPM, temperature, oil pressure and a host of other things. After a crash, the information can be recovered and studied, aiding investigators.
Mazda announced that its Mazda3 compact car (known as the Axela in Japan) has reached a new milestone with the production of 3 million units, seven years and ten months after the launch of the first-generation model. The fastest-selling model in the company's current lineup of passenger cars is produced in three locations (Japan's Hofu Plant in Yamaguchi, China's CFMA plant in Nanjing and Thailand's AutoAlliance plant).The compact model is sold in approximately 90 countries and regions across the world.
The new generation of powertrains developed by Mazda under the Skyactiv name will soon have its another member out on the road, as the company announced that the “Skyactiv-G 1.3” direct-injection gasoline engine will debut on the facelifted Demio (known as the Mazda2 in international markets) in Japan this summer. Mazda will unveil the new engine at Tokyo's Automotive Engineering Exposition on May 18-20.
Mazda and Subaru may soon be forced to axe two of their models in the US market, the Mazda6 mid-size vehicle and the Subaru Tribeca SUV, due to low volumes that undermine the efficiency of the U.S. plants that they are built in, according to a newspaper report from Japan’s business daily Nikkan Kogyo. It should be noted though that spokesmen for both companies declined to comment on the report. 
Nikkan Kogyo wrote that Mazda is planning to discontinue production of the Mazda6 at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant, which it operates as a joint venture together with Ford Motor Co., as sales missed expectations. When Mazda introduce the latest generation of the mid-size model in 2008, the company expected an annual production of around 100,000 units, but last year, the plant churned out just 45,168 Mazda6s. In April, Mazda6 posted an increase of 7.8 percent but sales reached just 2,734 vehicles.
