Mazda CX-3: preview of new baby SUV

This is how the new Mazda CX-3 could look when it goes on sale in 2014/2015.

The computer-generated image works on the basis that the baby brother to the CX-5 and CX-9 SUVs will be like a jacked-up version of the next-generation Mazda2 city car on which it is expected to be based.

CarAdvice revealed the development of the Mazda CX-3 in a world exclusive in February 2012, with a Mazda insider telling us that Mazda had �??to develop this vehicle, whether we call it CX-2, CX-3 or CX-4�?�.

Mazda has still to officially confirm the model, though the company�??s boss Takashi Yamanouchi gave Australian media a nod and a wink during a November 2012 interview.

The CX-3 will adopt Mazda�??s new family face �?" the five-point grille that�??s linked to the headlights via a shaped chrome bar �?" as well as the company�??s Skyactiv technologies that focus on reducing weight and increasing efficiency through all areas from chassis to gearbox.

Mazda is believed to be developing its smallest Skyactiv engine yet �?" a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol �?" that would form part of the drivetrain line-up of both the CX-3 and Mazda2, and could also make it into the third-generation Mazda3 small car due before both.

A 1.6-litre turbo diesel is also anticipated for the CX-3, giving the smallest Mazda3 even better fuel economy and emissions numbers than the 2.0-litre diesel of the CX-5 (pictured above) �?" potentially less than 4.0L/100km and 100g/km.

The CX-5 is available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations, though the CX-3�?�s relationship to the upcoming Mazda2 city car means it may be front-drive only.

Mazda�??s rival for other baby SUVs �?" such as the Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke due here in 2013 �?" is also understood to have a clever seating layout in the making, with rear seats that fold flat at the touch of a button.

With the Mazda CX-5 starting from $27,880 in front-wheel-drive form, the CX-3 should be set to kick off pricing at or just below the $20,000 point.
CGI illustration by Milos Dvorak


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