Mazda Sales Thailand will introduce the Mazda2 sedan on March 16th after successfully launching the Mazda2 five-door hatchback, which has been met by a flurry of orders.

The Mazda2 sedan is expected to be priced slightly lower than the hatchback, which should heat up the subcompact car market after Toyota Motor Thailand's recent launch of a Vios subcompact with minor alternations.

Substantial orders for the Mazda2 hatchback have prompted a request from Mazda for the AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) plant in Rayong - a Ford-Mazda joint venture - to double the model's production to speed up delivery to customers, said marketing director Sureetip La-Ongthong Chomthongdee.

Customers who have placed orders will get their cars as scheduled in February and March, she said.

"We are moving the cars to the 107 Mazda authorised showrooms countrywide so that they can be delivered to customers right away. We have been working hard to deliver the cars quickly and the large number of deliveries in February put Mazda in the leading position within the highly contested small passenger car market," she said.

Orders for over 1,000 Mazda2 cars are set to be cleared this month.

The launch of the first eco-car by rival Nissan yesterday is expected to stimulate the small passenger car market and offer consumers more choice, she added. But the Mazda2 is likely to be little affected because of its different specifications, she said. The Mazda2's main appeal is its styling, which customers believe reflect their personalities, she said.

Mazda's sales in February showed the market's highest growth. The Japanese car company sold 2,308 vehicles last month, a 218% year-on-year increase, largely driven by Mazda2 five-door hatchback, launched three months ago.

"The success is proof that Mazda2's sporty design and packaging appeals to the new generation of small car buyers. Other attractions include engine performance, production quality, value-for-money and versatility," said managing director John Ray.

In February, Mazda sold 1,404 Mazda2 cars and 524 Mazda3 vehicles, a 71% increase on the same month last year. BT-50 pickup sales reached 370 units and the CX-9 crossover had eight orders, bringing sales since last year to 40 units.