.

.December 15, 2004
.
This Week:

• The new Mercedes-Benz M-Class: More dynamic, innovative and attractive than ever

• Ford Motor Names Jim Padilla President, COO, Board Director

• Honda Announces All-New Accord Hybrid Pricing

• BMW Best Value Luxury Brand By Automotive Lease Guide

• Porsche's success continues

• Framework Agreement Reached on Restructuring Program for GM in Europe

• 2005 GTO Arrives In Dealers, On DVD In December

• Mazda Announces Official Sales Network in Mexico

• Nissan Europe's Sales & Marketing SVP, Mario Canavesi, to Step Down

• DaimlerChrysler More Than Doubles Fleet of Fuel Cell Vehicles in the United States

© 1998 - 2004 Copyright & 
Disclaimer
Automotive Intelligence,
www.autointell.com
All Rights Reserved .
For questions please contact
editor@autointell.net 

.
Mazda Announces Official Sales Network in Mexico

Mazda RX-8 Photo: Mazda

MEXICO CITY - Mazda Motor Corporation announced that it will begin selling vehicles in Mexico under a newly formed company, "Mazda Motor de Mexico." Vehicles will be sold through a comprehensive stand-alone dealer network and backed up by a multi-national management team, reporting both to Mazda's global headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan and to its North American headquarters in Irvine, Calif.

Mazda's initial sales launch in Mexico will focus on the country's three largest metropolitan areas, including Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, and will be comprised of the RX-8 sportscar, subcompact MAZDA3 in 4-Door and 5-Door form, and midsize MAZDA6 Sports Sedan.

The company plans to begin sales operations with five stand-alone showrooms. More information regarding dealerships and sales volumes will be the subject of future announcements.

"Today's announcement is proof of the importance of the Mexican consumer to Mazda as a global company, and the critical role that Mexico will play in Mazda's future," said Hisakazu Imaki, president and CEO of Mazda Motor Corporation. "The spirit of success is alive and well at Mazda in Japan and elsewhere in the world, and I have every confidence that Mexico will soon become a shining star in our network."

With a free trade agreement between Japan and Mexico scheduled for implementation in spring of 2005, Mazda will enter the Mexican market free of import tariffs. Prior to the free trade agreement's ratification, Japanese automakers without a factory presence in Mexico were subject to heavy taxes on imported vehicles, limiting consumers' choices.

(Dec 9, 2004)