HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation started production of the all-new Mazda CX-5 crossover SUV yesterday at Ujina Plant No. 2 near the company's global headquarters in Hiroshima. The model will go on sale in Japan in February before being rolled out to global markets.

The original CX-5, production of which began in November 2011, introduced a new generation of models featuring the full range of SKYACTIV technology^*1 and KODO design. Cumulative production reached 1 million units in April 2015, making it the second fastest Mazda to reach the million-unit milestone after the Mazda3 (known as Axela in Japan). Total production reached approximately 1.57 million units at the end of October this year.^*2 With global sales increasing every year since launch, the CX-5 has grown into a core model that accounts for about a quarter of Mazda's annual sales volume.

The slogan for development of the all-new CX-5 was "an SUV all customers will enjoy," and Mazda aimed for a new dimension of driving pleasure that can be shared by everyone on board - not just the driver.

Mazda will continue its efforts to enrich people's lives through a variety of touchpoints, including high-quality vehicle production, and become a brand with which customers feel a strong emotional connection.

• *1 SKYACTIV is an umbrella term for Mazda's next-generation technologies, including gasoline and diesel engines, transmissions, body and chassis, developed to provide both driving pleasure and outstanding environmental and safety performance, based on the company's Sustainable Zoom-Zoom long-term vision for technology development.
• *2 Based on company records.