Mazda is on a roll these days, launching award-winning new models, boasting a new design language and featuring new technologies. And now they announced that production has commenced at the Corporation’s brand-new plant in Salamanca, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.

That is not the only piece of news revealing Mazda’s ambitious plans for the future. Following the global success of their SKYACTIV technologies, especially in producing powerful yet fuel efficient powertrains, the Company has reportedly initiated the second phase of the development program, called SKYACTIV 2.

The goal of SKYACTIV 2 project, to become operational by 2020, is to produce engines that are 30 percent more efficient than the current SKYACTIC lineup. To do this, Mazda engineers are working on new combustion solutions that aims to achieve a compression ratio of 18:1. They are developing a homogeneous charge compression ignition called HCCI that allows for more complete fuel combustion as well as lower nitrogen oxide emissions. This, to all intents and purposes, is stretching internal combustion to within an inch of its life. It probably is not possible to make an internal combustion work more refined, and cleaner, than this.

That is for the future. For now, Mazda is celebrating the production of the first Mexican-built units: U.S.-bound Mazda3s.

“With the start of mass production, we now have a system capable of offering vehicles of the same high quality as those made in Japan, on a global scale, and that is extremely gratifying. We are committed to continue our efforts to contribute to the growth of Mexico’s economy through the production of vehicles and the development of personnel who support and lead the automobile industry here,” said Keishi Egawa, Mazda’s Managing Executive Officer.