''In such areas like Russia, I think we cannot play a game unless we go there from the stage of production or opening a plant,'' said Yamanouchi at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo in an interview for Kyodo News, probably referring to the Russian government's preferential treatment for local production.
Rumors have been circulating of Mazda's plans to open a plant in Mexico by 2013 through a joint venture with Sumitomo, its first partnership in an overseas plant project with a company other than Ford.
Mazda aims to have its global sales exceed the 1.7 million units target by the end of the 2015 financial year, by 300,000 units, through its expansion in emerging countries.
Yamanouchi said Mazda is increasing its efforts on consolidating its technologies, and showed confidence in the company's forthcoming gas powered car that has the fuel efficiency of similar-sized hybrids. The new Mazda2 (Demio) that will be launched in the first half of 2011, is claimed to have a fuel consumption of about 3.3 liters/100 km (71 mpg US). The car will be powered by the Skyactiv-G direct-injection gas engine and will retail for less than JPY 1.59 million, which is the price tag of the compact Mazda's rival, the Honda Fit (Jazz) Hybrid, that has the same level of fuel economy.
''We believe they are the most efficient engines anywhere,'' Yamanouchi said, referring to the new Demio. ''It will be more affordable than a similar sized HEV,'' or hybrid electric vehicle, he added.
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