Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that total production of the Mazda 3 (known as Axela in Japan) has reached the one million unit milestone at the end of August 2006. This achievement comes three years and two months after production of the Axela started at Mazda’s Hofu Plant No.1 (H1) at the end of June 2003 and establishes a new record for the fastest time to produce one million units of a Mazda vehicle.

To the end of August 2006, some 75,394 Mazda 3s have been sold in Australia.

The Mazda Axela development concept was focused on producing a “dynamic sports compact that exceeds your expectations” and has become a core model in Mazda’s global compact vehicle segment strategy. It delivers dynamic performance, a vibrant design and high quality craftsmanship, having been developed to be a globally competitive vehicle with attractive driving characteristics and value-for-money attributes.

The Axela won second prize in the 2004 European Car of the Year awards — the highest-ranking Japanese car that year — and was picked as the 2004 Canadian Car of the Year. It has also been praised by the media and customers alike, winning 67 automotive awards to date. With this history of excellence, it continues to enjoy steady sales in markets throughout the world.

Mazda freshened the Axela lineup in June 2006. While the freshened Axela enhanced existing strengths such as delightful exterior and interior styling, dynamic performance and craftsmanship, fuel economy and road quietness were improved. At the same time, the Mazdaspeed Axela (known globally as the Mazda 3 MPS or Mazdaspeed 3), a high performance model with a 2.3-litre Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) Turbo engine, was newly added to the lineup in Japan, offering another dimension of driving pleasure.

With ongoing steady global sales, Mazda has been adding to the Axela’s production system year after year. Total production of the Axela in Japan in 2005 was 364,668 units, boasting one of the highest single model production volumes in Japan. For the future, as Mazda’s key model in the compact vehicle segment, the Axela is aimed at strengthening the Mazda brand globally and will take on an increasingly important role as a key model in Mazda’s vehicle line-up.

2006 Mazda 3 Neo hatch

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Mitsubishi Wins Second Targa West
11th September, 2006
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Peter Brock (1945 - 2006)
10th September, 2006
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New Peugeot 307 XSE HDi 6-Speed Automatic
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Motor Vehicle Sales Dip in August
7th September, 2006
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New Ford Transit Has It All
7th September, 2006
Ford's most successful global commercial vehicle range, Transit, enters a new era in its long and accomplished life with a series of extensive improvements ..... more

Saab Diesel Confirmed for Australia
31st August, 2006
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Dual Airbags for the Nissan Patrol DX wagon
28th August, 2006
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Around Australia for Under $1,000!
27th August, 2006
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Volkswagen Iroc concept car
25th August, 2006
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Saab Icon Celebrates 20 Years
24th August, 2006
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VW supply 200 T5s to the UK's AA
22nd August, 2006
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Team Hummer Looks to Continue Winning Streak
22nd August, 2006
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New cone laying machine
21st August, 2006
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VW Eos Highway 1 Debuts At Pebble Beach
20th August, 2006
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Gordon Murray joins Caparo
18th August, 2006
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Woodward Dream Cruise: Ford
18th August, 2006
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America's Saab Enthusiasts Head for the Adirondacks
18th August, 2006
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Cadillac CTS Reaches New Milestone
18th August, 2006
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Woodward Dream Cruise: General Motors
17th August, 2006
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Ford Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Hot Rod
17th August, 2006
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Touareg V10 TDI Pushes New Diesel Trend in USA
17th August, 2006
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Suzuki To Expand Production
16th August, 2006
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