Mazda Motor said, starting from November, it will manufacture the all new CX-5 at its Hofu plant in Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan, apart from the Hiroshima plant where it is being produced currently.
The move will help the automaker respond quickly and flexibly to growing demand for SUVs globally.
Mazda aims to create a production system that can respond flexibly to changes in demand for crossover vehicles as it works to meet its global sales goal of 1.65 million units, as laid out in its Structural Reform Stage 2 medium-term business plan (covering the period from fiscal year ending (FYE) March 2017 through FYE March 2019).
In December last year the company began producing the Mazda CX-3 subcompact crossover SUV at Hofu plant in addition to Hiroshima Plant.
Launched domestically in February, the all-new CX-5 is already proving popular. In approximately one month sales reached 16,639 units, about seven times the monthly target.
Mazda Motor managing executive officer, Global Production in charge Masatoshi Maruyama said: "As with the CX-3, starting production of the CX-5 at Hofu Plant as well is part of our plan to build a production framework that gives us more flexibility between plants and between models.
"We will do everything we can to get customers the crossover vehicles they want as quickly as possible."
Mazda will continue its efforts to enrich people's lives through a variety of touchpoints and become a brand with which customers feel a strong emotional connection.
