Wednesday, October 28, 2015, 8:30 – 8:45 am (Japan Time)

Masamichi Kogai
Representative Director and President and CEO

Thank you all for joining us for this Mazda Press Conference at this early hour.

Our theme for this year's show is "Accelerate Toward our Dreams." Over the years, Mazda has consistently sought to make cars that are a pleasure to drive, tackling various challenges along the way. Our theme this year expresses our desire to continue providing customers with Mazda's distinctive driving pleasure, sustaining our passion for fun-to-drive cars and desire to take on challenges.

With the introduction of our new-generation line-up-all models since the 2012 CX-5 that feature SKYACTIV technology and KODO design-we have been working to build a new Mazda brand. Our stand here today features all six of these new-generation models, including the Mazda3 (Axela), which was launched domestically at the previous Tokyo Motor Show, and the Mazda2 (Demio), CX-3 and MX-5 (Roadster), which have been introduced since then. All of these models have been acclaimed for their design and driving performance and won numerous automotive awards. They have made a big contribution to growing our business and enhancing our brand image. This year, in addition to these existing models, we are introducing two new concept cars.

The first is the Mazda KOERU, which was unveiled recently in Frankfurt. This concept model represents Mazda's new offering for the crossover SUV market, which continues to grow. In an effort to win new customers and deliver further volume growth, this model will challenge existing category standards and stereotypes. That's why we named the car KOERU, a Japanese word meaning to "exceed" or "go beyond." We are looking forward to hearing your feedback on this new concept.

The other concept model, which is making its world premiere here today, is the embodiment of Mazda's vision for the future.

We are not a big company, but the cars we make stand out. Our vision is to offer customers driving pleasure along with excellent environmental and safety performance. We don't see cars simply as a means to get from one place to another. We offer cars that not only transport people and things but also deliver driving pleasure, the essence of the automobile, and hope to enrich our customers' lives through car ownership. As a carmaker, only if we can do these things does our existence have meaning, and only then can we make a contribution to the automobile industry.

In order to fulfill this role, 50 years ago we took on the challenge of the rotary engine and were successful in mass-producing and commercializing it. It hasn't been an easy path; we've had our share of setbacks and challenges and are no longer producing rotary engine vehicles. However, one day the rotary will make a comeback. The model we will reveal here today gives form to Mazda's vision of the future: a rotary-powered sports car concept we call Mazda RX-VISION.

We attempted to create a design that would encapsulate our entire history of sports car development while also representing the ultimate in styling for a front-engine, rear wheel-drive sports car.

Under the hood is our next-generation rotary engine, the SKYACTIV-R. This name expresses our intention to make breakthroughs in the rotary engine's dynamic and environmental performance with the same high aspirations that made SKYACTIV technology possible. There are still many issues to overcome, but we will continue our development efforts in the spirit of "never stop challenging."

While continuing to dream, Mazda has also been implementing structural reforms. If we want to turn our dreams into reality, we must establish a solid foundation for our business, and we are working steadily toward making even more effective reforms.

It is a pleasure to be here today to show you our vision for the future, and I look forward to talking with you after the unveiling. Mazda will continue to take on new challenges in an effort to build a special bond with our customers and to become their "one and only" brand. Keep your eyes on Mazda.

Thank you very much.

Now, let's take a look at the future: the RX-VISION!