Mazda to produce car for Toyota at Mexico plant

[ne_one]

Mazda to produce car for Toyota at Mexico plant
Automotive News
November 9, 2012
by Hans Greimel

Mazda Motor Corp. will produce a subcompact car for Toyota Motor Corp. at its new Mexican assembly plant starting in 2015, as the automakers seek ways to boost North American output.

The Toyota vehicle will be a rebadged version of the Mazda2 targeting the U.S., Canadian and Mexican markets.

Production will start in the summer of 2015 at an annual pace of 50,000 vehicles, the companies said in a statement today.

The volume would come on top of the 140,000 capacity already planned for Mazda vehicles at the plant, Mazda spokesman Greg Young said. The automaker's factory in Salamanca is scheduled to open in 2014 and build the Mazda2 and Mazda3 small sedans. Mazda's plans to export those cars to the United States remain in place.

Toyota will share the cost of increasing the plant's capacity, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said separately. He declined to say how much the investment would be.

The rebadged Mazda2 will be based on the car but have distinct styling, Toyota's Corbett said. Production will likely coincide with the introduction of the next generation Mazda2.

Full article at link.

[richmond2000]

I wonder if the french built Yaris is also a way for Toyota offset losses/low utilization @ its european plants like OPEL needs to do
and I wonder if the Mazda2 is better then the Yaris build wise as the Yaris IMHO missed the quality issues that showed up in the Corolla and Camry models

[oldsfiesta1958]

So, the next Yaris will be a Mazda?

[Bravada]

Now that is strange.

[CheetahDC]

So what does this mean for the French Yaris? Is that null, or are they both going to be built as different models with the same namebadge? Or is the French Yaris switching over to Mazda hardware? Huh.

This seems to be good news for Mazda, they've been looking for a partner...

Edit: Ah, darn, I didn't read far enough. So it may be a Scion... a Mazda might be a good fit for that brand.

[civilzues]

not exactaly who I wanted Mazda to partner up with but at least they will be able to stay alive-for now.

[AMERICA 123]

not exactaly who I wanted Mazda to partner up with but at least they will be able to stay alive-for now.

Sigh...... yeah, really.

Pretty much anyone sensible except Toyota.

Separately but related perhaps.....Honda best get off their high horse of independence and figure out who and how they're going to get some real partnering going on - else Toyota's going to end up with most of it.

[spidge]

I'd be more interested in the Mazda version. I'd like to see how the new styling translates to the smaller package.

[jpd80]

Mazda 2 and Fiesta are on the same platform, if US "Yaris" is a version of the Mazda 2, that would be ....strange.

[brian5o]

While I am happy to see that Mazda has found another manufacturer to partner up with it will pain me to look at a Mazda and also see a Toyota.

[2b2]

quote Autosavant @ facebook
"Toyota finally figured out how to create a more appealing subcompact. Outsource to Mazda."

&
their article:
Toyota To Sell Rebadged Next-Gen Mazda2, Built in Mexico - Autosavant
By Chris Haak on November 9, 2012 in News

[CheetahDC]

Mazda 2 and Fiesta are on the same platform, if US "Yaris" is a version of the Mazda 2, that would be ....strange.

Since Mazda's split with Ford, they've began to develop their own platforms. One new Mazda-only platform car you can get right now is the CX-5.

This new car will probably be the same.

[fakeout]

lol, did they say Mazda 2 sedan? Those cars are too small in my opinion to be made into sedans. Why don't they make cars like the Fiesta hatchback only? Seems the Sonic could be hatchback only as well. It's the only model that seems to stand out anyway.

[mercy09]

I wonder if the french built Yaris is also a way for Toyota offset losses/low utilization @ its european plants like OPEL needs to do
and I wonder if the Mazda2 is better then the Yaris build wise as the Yaris IMHO missed the quality issues that showed up in the Corolla and Camry models

It has more to do with the outrageous Yen to dollar exchange rate.

[2b2]

lol, did they say Mazda 2 sedan? Those cars are too small in my opinion to be made into sedans. Why don't they make cars like the Fiesta hatchback only? Seems the Sonic could be hatchback only as well. It's the only model that seems to stand out anyway.

see I kinda want to abolish sedans AND hatches...ie the wagony-hatches
&
DECREE that they should all be fast(ish)back dual-hatches...with little separate trunklids, just enough to put groceries in the cargo area