Mazda has a new "pride point" in the U.S. with its Huntsville, Ala., plant, which will start producing the made- for-America CX-50 crossover in January, Mazda North America CEO Jeff Guyton told Automotive News.
After ending U.S. manufacturing nearly a decade ago as part of Mazda's breakup with Ford Motor Co., the Japanese automaker hopes to leverage its new joint-venture factory with Toyota as a brand message when communicating with consumers.
A large U.S. factory communicates a permanence in this market, Guyton said.
"Having production in the U.S., and having that home base in Alabama, gives you an awareness that there is something substantial about the company here," he said last week.