FAW and Mazda are in bed together to make the Mazda 6 and Mazda 3 in China, they currently offer the Mazda 6 saloon, coupe, and wagon - (the wagon and coupe are both very very nice, even though they both have the same 2.3 motor) To further its success in the Chinese market, Mazda have upped their stake in the FAW/Mazda joint venture agreement from 25% to a more muscular 40%. This puts the joint venture at Mazda 40%, FAW 4% and the FAW subsidiary company, FAW Car Co at 56%.
Mazda will also transfer the sales of the super mini Mazda 3 from FAW to the Chang’an Ford joint venture later this year, in addition the Mazda 2 will be made at the brand new Chang’an Ford Mazda factory in Nanjing.
The Japanese made Mazda 5 is also being imported into China directly from Japan at the end of this year.
Wasn’t it the government that forced Mazda to end the “3″ production at FAW-Haima-Mazda because of its start-up of production of the 3 at the Nanjing plant of Chang’an-Ford-Mazda?
I know that Mazda’s stakeholder Ford was not happy about that FAW-Mazda venture in CKDs.
These multiple Chinese-foreign joint ventures are hard to keep track of and I can’t but wonder what will become of them some 10 years from now. Mazda was also in a venture building microbuses with Forta Auto of Fujian province.
All this said, I do think FAW, and others, are reaping the benefits of Mazda’s awesome coach designers who have helped put out models like the Bentung.
I think the Mazda 6 is sold in hatch, saloon and estate versions in China. Don’t think there is even a coupe version.
Could be something lost in translation or….. Ash has been in China far too long and craving after a decent coupe he has come to realise that a hatch/liftback etc is the closest thing he can find except for a few others….
what about the Mazda 骄跑车 edition, does that not count as a coupe, or more of a sports sedan?