For the first time since the founding of Mazda UK in 2001, Mazda has begun shipping cars directly from Japan to the UK.
It said that this will bring benefits for dealers and customer alike by providing a wider range of available stock with a 10-14 day delivery window to a dealership
Having previously operated a logistics model that saw cars imported into Europe via Zeebrugge and then distributed into regional hubs in the UK, Mazda UK has now invested in a new distribution process that sees cars imported directly from Japan to the Port of Bristol.
Mooring at Bristol’s Royal Portbury Dock on the 28th March, the NOCC Atlantic delivered 2,355 cars to Mazda’s new automotive port handling centre within the Bristol Port Company estate. This opening shipment sees Bristol Port become the fourth port of entry in Europe for Mazda Logistics Europe, joining Barcelona, Antwerp and Zeebrugge. Over the course of the next 12 months the new centre will receive a vessel every 10 days or so with 1,000-1,200 Mazda cars on board.
Mazda Motors UK, Sales Director, Peter Allibon, said: “The team at Mazda UK and our colleagues at Mazda Logistics Europe have worked really hard to update our logistics, port and stocking processes and this new direct Japan to UK operation will bring significant benefits to our dealers and customers. Our dealers will have access to a much wider stock choice within our new central compound, which ultimately provides an optimised logistics journey to support customer choice and delivery times”.
“Our new UK compound will allow for a wider range of available stock with a 10-14 day delivery window to a dealership, which will optimise the customer experience with better choice and faster post production delivery times. With an exciting year ahead of us, with new models like the all-new Mazda CX-60 joining our line-up, there’s never been a better time for us to have this new high-class logistics hub becoming part of our vehicle journey to delivery”.
Located within the Port of Bristol estate, Mazda’s new compound facility provides capacity for over 8,000 vehicles, as well as a centre for vehicle inspection and preparation.
With all Mazda UK production coming from Mazda’s Hiroshima, Miyoshi and Hofu plants, Mazda said that the new Japan to the UK shipping logistics route streamlines UK deliveries as part of Mazda’s long-term strategy to ensure the best logistical efficiencies and removes the risk of delays caused by Europe to UK transit issues, such as disruption at the Channel Tunnel or ferry issues. In addition, the new Mazda2 Hybrid, which is built in France, will begin arriving into Bristol later in the spring, shipping from Zeebrugge, Belgium on a regular basis.