AUTOS

Mazda Names New U.S. Chief: The Japanese car maker named Yoji Toyama to replace Kazuo Sonoguchi as president of its fast-growing U.S. sales operation. Irvine-based Mazda Motor America Inc. announced the change, which it described as a routine rotation of executives. Toyama is a 30-year Mazda veteran who most recently headed the company’s manufacturing unit in Flat Rock, Mich. Sonoguchi, who has worked in Irvine since 1989, will move to Mazda headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan. Mazda’s U.S. sales rose 14% to 379,235 vehicles last year.