(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – While enthusiasts patiently await a new MX-5/Miata, another model that has been on the market for more than a decade will soon be renewed. Namely in 2027, when the second generation of the CX-3 hits the market. In an official document on the recently completed fiscal year in Japan, Mazda mentions a new entry-level CX.
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It literally says there: “Additionally, we are investing and developing in Thailand to launch the next-generation CX-3 next year to steadily capture the volume segment.” Translated: In addition, we are investing and developing in Thailand to launch the next generation of the CX-3 next year and thus steadily tap into the volume segment.
The current CX-3 is now clearly getting old: it has been on the market since the end of 2014. Mazda discontinued the model in the USA and Europe in 2021 to make room for the CX-30 – but in other markets, the compact crossover is still offered. Now it is finally supposed to switch to the second generation, with production planned in Thailand.
Expansion planned
Manufacturing takes place at Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT). In this Mazda-Ford joint venture, more than four million vehicles have been built since the plant in Rayong started operations in 1995. The future CX-3 is not only intended for the local market: Mazda also wants to export the model to Japan and other Southeast Asian countries. Whether also to Europe is still uncertain at this point.
Details about the next CX-3 are still scarce. However, Mazda has confirmed that there will be an electrified variant – without specifying what type of hybrid drive it will be. The question about the platform, which the current model already has 12 years under its belt, is also open. A revision of the existing base would not be a big surprise, especially since the CX-5 for 2026 is also not completely new.
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Even though the announcement comes without teaser images, Mazda has already hinted at the direction. At the Japan Mobility Show last year, the Vision X-Compact showed the future direction for small vehicles. The concept appeared as a very compact hatchback and probably gave a preview of the next generation of the Mazda 2 – but a crossover offshoot can easily be derived from it.
SUV focus continues
With the CX-3 for 2027, Mazda wants to address a “volume segment,” but we do not expect worldwide distribution. The CX-30 will likely continue to mark the entry into the brand’s SUV range in many regions, while the CX-3 will focus mainly on Asian markets.
Mazda sticks to the name CX-3 instead of switching to CX-20 – a designation that has been circulating in Japanese magazines for some time. One could argue that CX-20 would fit better because it names the small crossover closer to the brand’s larger SUVs. However, that does not seem to be the case at the moment – unless a separate CX-20 is developed for other markets.
Even if some of us are slowly tired of the umpteenth SUV, Mazda apparently believes that there is still room for a new CX-3 alongside the CX-30. From an economic point of view, the strategy is understandable, as the upcoming model is likely to be positioned more affordably and thus appeal to buyers who do not want to pay the premium for the CX-30.
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More from Mazda:
New Mazda CX-5 (2026): An extra is free
Mazda wants to keep the next MX-5 under one ton
