Mazda Motor has begun production of the new Mazda 3 at its Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT) plant. The company’s president, Masamichi Kogai, said that AAT is one of Mazda’s most important production facilities in terms of the future growth of the business.

“Thailand is the centre of our business in the ASEAN region, and the start of production of the all-new Mazda 3 indicates that our business in this country has entered a new phase. With our partners, dealers and suppliers, we will continue to grow our business while making a contribution to the Thai automotive industry at the same time.” The AAT plant, which began operating in January 2011, has produced 12,661 units so far.