  The group E_6 for grand unification is combined with the generation symmetry
group SO(3) x Z(2). The coupling matrices in the Yukawa interaction are
identified with the vacuum expectation values of scalar flavons. The symmetric
part of this 3x3 coupling matrix can be identified with the known up-quark
hierarchy. The antisymmetric part is responsible for fermion mixings and CP
violation. Numerical fits with only few parameters reproduce quantitatively all
known fermion properties. The model predicts an inverted neutrino hierarchy, CP
violation properties as well as the 0v2beta decay parameter. It also predicts
that the masses of the two lightest of six `right handed' neutrinos lie in the
low TeV region.
