100 Years Timeline
Chapter 8
Establishment of new brand strategy - Product-led growth
Establishment of new brand strategy - Product-led growth
The Millennium Plan was a medium-term management plan announced in 2000, whose harsh contents included plant closures and job cuts. Despite this, Mazda was able to overcome the challenges imposed at the time and developed new models that fully reflected the Mazda brand DNA in line with its new brand strategy. The models were rolled out along with the “Zoom-Zoom” tagline worldwide. By efficiently dividing roles within the Ford group, Mazda worked to spread its new brand with new core products, Atenza, Demio and Axela, respectively known as Mazda6, Mazda2 and Mazda3 overseas. Mazda also strengthened production and sales systems by establishing a national sales company in China, where rapid growth was observed. In 2007, Mazda announced its long-term vision for technology development: Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, and in the following year, its specific target was set to improve average fuel economy by 30 percent. It was a clear deceleration of Mazda’s commitment to improve the performance of internal combustion engines that were widely used to deliver vehicles that offer driving pleasure and exceptional environment and safety performance.
2001
Feb.
Launches Web Tune Factory, where customers can obtain estimations for cars with their desired specifications, etc. via the Internet
Develops a new fuel-cell electric vehicle, Premacy FC-EV, and starts first test run on public roads in Japan
Mar.
Introduces Special Early Retirement Program
May
Starts sale of limited edition Mazdaspeed MX-5 and Mazdaspeed Protege (Roadster and Familia in Japan)
Starts production of Mazda5 (Premacy in Japan) at Faw Hainan Motor Co., Ltd. (FHC) in China
Sep.
Closes Ujina Plant No.2 (U2)
2002
Jan.
Completes Nakasatsunai Proving Ground in Hokkaido
Starts production of new in-line four-cylinder engine (MZR engine)
Feb.
Starts sale of micro-mini passenger vehicle, Spiano (Japan exclusive)
May
Starts sale of all-new midsize car, Mazda6 (Atenza in Japan)
Jun.
Lewis Booth becomes 12th president
Jul.
Introduces environmentally-friendly Three-Layer Wet Paint system
Aug.
Starts sale of second-generation Mazda2 (Demio in Japan)
Oct.
Starts production of Mazda6 (Atenza in Japan) at production company (AAI) in USA
Nov.
Mazda6 (Atenza in Japan) wins 2003 RJC Car of the Year
2003
Jan.
Starts production of Mazda2 (Demio in Japan) at Ford Valencia plant in Spain
Mar.
Starts production of Mazda6 (Atenza in Japan) at FCC in Changchun, China
Apr.
Starts sale of four-door, four-seater sports car, Mazda RX-8
Introduces new personnel system, Tobiuo system
Aug.
Hisakazu Imaki becomes 13th president
Oct.
Starts sale of the next generation sports compact, Mazda3 (Axela in Japan)
Nov.
Mazda RX-8 wins 2004 RJC Car of the Year
Dec.
Mazda Bongo becomes first of its class to employ diesel engine with DPF to meet Japan's New Short-term Diesel Emissions Regulations and the Automobile NOx/PM Control Law
2004
Apr.
Ends production at Hiroshima Plant No.1 (F Plant) as part of production system restructuring in Japan
May
Ujina Plant No.2 resumes operation for the first time in two years and eight months
Jun.
Starts sale of sixth-generation Titan truck series, Isuzu OEM vehicles
Starts sale of new compact car, Mazda Verisa (Japan exclusive)
Nov.
Formulates new medium-term management plan, Mazda Momentum
Dec.
A fire broke out at the Ujina Plant No.1; it took about four months to fully recover
2005
Feb.
Mazda Museum situated at Mazda headquarters in Hiroshima is fully renovated
Starts sale of second-generation Mazda5 (Premacy in Japan)
Mar.
Establishes Mazda's China operations management office, Mazda Motor (Shanghai) Business Management & Consulting Co., Ltd.
Aug.
Starts sale of third-generation MX-5 (Roadster in Japan)
Establishes operations management office in Thailand, Mazda South East Asia Ltd.
Sep.
Establishes Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. in Nanjing through joint investment with Ford Motor Company and Changan Automotive Group
Nov.
MX-5 (Roadster in Japan) wins 2005-2006 Car of the Year Japan
2006
Feb.
Starts sale of third-generation Mazda8 (Mazda MPV in Japan)
Begins commercial leasing of rotary hydrogen vehicle RX-8 Hydrogen RE
Starts production of Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) at Changan Ford's plant in Chongqing
Apr.
Changan Ford is renamed to Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. (CFMA) after investment from Mazda
May
Holds opening ceremony for Mine Proving Ground
Starts sale of Mazda CX-7 crossover SUV in North America
Aug.
Adds power retractable hard top model to MX-5 (Roadster in Japan) lineup
Cumulative domestic production of Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) reaches 1 million units in three years and two months, the shortest period achieved among all Mazda models
2007
Jan.
Starts sale of seven-seater Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV in North America
Mar.
Formulates new mid-term plan: Mazda Advancement Plan
Announces long-term vision for technology development: Sustainable Zoom-Zoom
Jul.
Starts sale of third-generation Mazda2 (Demio in Japan)
Cumulative production of vehicles in Japan reaches 40 million units
Cumulative vehicle production at AAT reaches 1 million units
Implementation of mixed production: both V-shaped six-cylinder and in-line four-cylinder engines were processed on the same machining line
Oct.
Starts producing Mazda2 (Demio in Japan) at Changan Ford Mazda Automobile's plant (CFMA) in Nanjing
Nov.
Mazda2 (Demio in Japan) receives RJC Car of the Year in Japan
2008
Jan.
Mazda CX-9 Wins 2008 North American Truck of the Year
Conducts ITS test on public roads as part of a Hiroshima prefecture industry-academic-government group
Starts sale of second-generation Mazda6 (Atenza in Japan)
Mar.
Third-generation Mazda2 (Demio in Japan) wins World Car of the Year award
Jun.
Announces Mazda's initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions - reducing the fuel consumption of Mazda vehicles by an average 30 percent by 2015
Jul.
Starts sale of tall-type Biante minivan
Oct.
Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle runs on public roads in Norway, in collaboration with Norwegian national hydrogen project, HyNor
Nov.
Ford's stake in Mazda changes from 33.4% to 13.8%
Takashi Yamanouchi becomes 14th president
Dec.
Obtains naming rights for the new Hiroshima baseball stadium and names it Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima