OREANDA-NEWS. Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that it held an opening ceremony today at Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (MPMT), the company's new powertrain plant located in Thailand's Chonburi province.

Approximately 500 people attended the ceremony celebrating the plant's opening, including Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn; employees of MPMT, including President and CEO Hidenori Kawakami; and Mazda's Representative Director, President and CEO, Masamichi Kogai.

MPMT is Mazda's first transmission plant outside Japan. In January of this year, it began producing the company's new SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmissions which are also made at the Hofu Plant in Japan. Capable of producing up to 400,000 units per year, automatic transmissions made at the plant will be supplied to Mazda's production facilities in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico and China. Pilot production of the SKYACTIV-D 1.5-liter diesel engine has already begun at the engine plant at MPMT which is due to begin mass production in the last quarter of 2015. Its start will mark the completion of a comprehensive framework for the production of SKYACTIV models in Thailand, including manufacture of engines, transmissions and vehicle assembly.

"With the start of operations at MPMT, Thailand becomes the first production base outside Japan where Mazda is able to conduct comprehensive vehicle manufacture, including production of engines and transmissions and vehicle assembly," said Mazda's Representative Director, President and CEO, Masamichi Kogai at the ceremony. "Mazda will continue to make our utmost efforts to contribute to the sustained growth of the automobile industry and economy of Thailand."

Mazda aims to continue enriching people's lives through a variety of contact points, including the manufacture of high-quality vehicles, and become a brand which maintains a special bond with its customers.