This is the Mazda CX-3 – an exclusive version of a SUV, manufactured to wet the appetites of buyers of the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. The new model has been designed on the newly-launched 2, but it is slightly elongated and taller in height. It sits on the same wheelbase, though, so cabin space should be roughly the same as in the regular supermini.
As for the styling, it mixes elements from the 2 – which includes a large front grille and complex surface creases along the side – with cues from the larger CX-5 such as the black plastic wheelarch surrounds. Mazda’s designers say those items are intended to make the wheels look larger.
The front cabin will look familiar to anyone who has had the pleasure of riding in the latest generation of 2 – there’s a slim coloured strip across the centre of the fascia, however, it’s mostly swathes of grey plastic. The monotony is at least broken up by the large central screen, which is mounted high up on the dashboard and control by a dial between the front seats. The set-up can offer sat-nav and a range of apps that make use of your smartphone’s data connection.
Few details have been released on the CX-3’s technical specification, but Mazda has confirmed that it will get a slightly different line-up of engines than the 2’s. The CX3 will not get the 2’s 1.5-litre petrol unit; instead, it will be offered with a 2.0 petrol, in two states of tune, and a 1.5-litre diesel. The petrol should have 118bhp or 163bhp, while the diesel will be the same 104bhp motor that you get in the 2.
All engines will get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but a six-speed automatic will be available as an option. The CX-3 gets Mazda’s Sky Active lightweight construction so the most efficient model – the diesel manual, most likely – should emit less than 100g/km of CO2. The CX-3 is due on sale around April. Expect a premium of at least £2000 over the 2, with prices of front-wheel-drive manual CX-3s starting at around £15,000.
