Mazda is planning to construct an engine plant in the Chonburi Province of Thailand where SKYACTIV-D 1.5 clean diesel engine will be produced for the company’s flagship Mazda2.
The engine assembly plant is expected to have production capacity of 30,000 units per year, and it will be the fourth unit for the production of SKYACTIV engines after Mexico, Japan , and China.
The construction of the new plant follows Thai government’s Eco-Car program, which provides tax cuts to fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles and the Mazda2 will be especially built for the Thai market.
Mazda director Yuji Nakamine said :”We are very excited to announce this development. Thailand is Mazda’s main production base in the ASEAN region, and establishing a comprehensive framework for the production of SKYACTIV models-covering engines, transmissions and vehicle bodies-will enable us to make an even greater contribution to the development of the Thai automotive industry.”
The plant is expected to commence operations by the fourth quarter of 2015.
