Mazda To Begin Production Of 2.0 SkyActiv-G Engine In Thailand

Mazda is stepping up its investments into the Thai automotive industry, ramping up the capacity of its Chonburi engine plant and initiating production of the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G petrol engine there. The company has also announced plans to construct a new engine machining facility to complement the engine assembly plant.

Operational since October 2015, the Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing (Thailand) Co Ltd (MPMT) plant currently boasts an annual production capacity of 30,000 units. The plant produces the 1.5-litre SkyActiv-D diesel and 1.3-litre SkyActiv-G petrol engines used in the Mazda 2. Neither engine are currently offered in Malaysia though, the Mazda 2 for our market being powered exclusively by the 1.5-litre SkyActiv-G engine; the 1.5-litre diesel engine is currently undergoing local trials here conducted by local distributors Bermaz Motor.

Moving forward, Mazda plans to further invest JPY 22.1 billion into the plant, escalating its annual production capacity to 100,000 engines whilst adding the 2.0 SkyActiv-G engine into its portfolio.

The upgrades are scheduled to be ready by the first half of 2018, after which it will be exporting the 2.0 SkyActiv-G to Mazda’s ASEAN production sites in Malaysia and Vietnam.

By increasing production capacity and starting up the new engine machining factory as scheduled with quality assured, Mazda intends to further develop MPMT as its first overseas hub for engine export, thereby improving our global production efficiency and contributing to the development of Thailand's automotive industry," said Masatoshi Maruyama, Mazda's Managing Executive Officer in charge of Global Production."

This major investment by Mazda is a massive win for the Thai automotive industry. The Mazda SkyActiv engines are extremely sophisticated powertrains. Besides securing a high amount of foreign direct investment, the local Thai economy and workforce are also set to benefit from the transfer of highly advanced engineering and production technology.