Establishing a global production footprint is a key element of Mazda’s structural reform plan announced in February 2012, and the launch of Mazda Powertrain Mfg. operations marks another important milestone....More
“The parent company plans to use the Thai factory as the global blueprint, with 60% of production serving the domestic market and the rest for export,” Mazda Thailand President Hidesuke Takesue says....More
Improvements at the complex, which builds the Damas and Labo mini LCVs, the Chevrolet Spark minicar and electric vehicle, and 0.8L, 1.0L and 1.2L engines and transmissions, include a new body shop with enhanced robotic line technology....More
Placed side-by-side, the new and old systems present a stunning visual. Despite a small increase in the displacement of the gasoline engine from 1.4L to 1.5L the overall package is reduced markedly in volume and has shed about 130 lbs....More
Jatco is producing about 1,500 units of the second transmission in its CVT8 Hybrid series monthly, but plans to raise output to 4,500 units per month by 2016, with its Aguascalientes, Mexico-based subsidiary accounting for almost all of the growth....More
Daihatsu, Japan's oldest car maker and now majority-owned by Toyota, is "near an agreement" to supply Japanese-made automatic transmissions to Tianjin FAW Xiali, a spokesman says....More
The government says Honda and Mazda are increasing spending and a Daihatsu-owned components maker is on its way, but questions surround the company granted the country’s first energy-efficient vehicle license....More
Magna subsidiary raising output of electronic latches; Daimler assigns 9-speed AT work to Romania facility; new leadership at Aisin Seiki’s U.S. technical center....More
In addition to Toyota, Subaru and Lexus, Aisin AI supplies Mazda and Mitsubishi in Japan and PSA Peugeot Citroen, General Motors and Lotus overseas. The supplier is developing a new 6-speed transmission for the Porsche 911 sports coupe....More
Too many marketing dollars are wasted on customers who would have bought the vehicle anyway, John Krafcik says. By aiming incentives only where needed, automakers could free up billions....More
Alan Batey says he hopes to capitalize on the new strength he sees between GM and its dealers after last year’s recall crisis brought the sometimes adversaries closer together....More
Stakeholders need to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, as laws on the state and federal levels will change in tandem with technological developments....More
The feeding frenzy spurred by this surge in consumerism creates competition for attention that increases cost and creates margin compression that cuts directly into return on investment....More
