Mazda CX-3 SUV Slated for 2011

Mazda is reportedly working on a brand new SUV based on the popular Mazda3 model that is believed to arrive on the market in 2011. The Japanese manufacturer intends to manufacture the product exclusively at its domestic plants but wants to sell it at a global level, including in the US and Europe.

According to autoblog.it, the CX-3 will employ the newly-designed Sky-G and Sky-D engines mated to Sky-Drive.

Details are obviously unknown but Mazda will most likely release some information in the upcoming months as the company will probably roll out a preview at one of the upcoming auto shows.

Meanwhile, Mazda3 continues to sell very well in global markets, especially thanks to scrappage schemes set by governments around the world.

Recently, the car earned a five-star rating in the latest EuroNCAP crash tests after scoring 31 points for adult occupant protection, 18 points for pedestrian, 41 points for child occupant and 5 points for safety assist.

"The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal impact, the windscreen pillar moving rearward by only 2mm. The car scored maximum points for its protection of the driver dummy. Protection of the passenger was rated as adequate for the chest and good for other body regions," EuroNCAP mentioned in the test results.

Mazda3 is offered with both gasoline and diesel engines, with the 2.2-liter diesel unit representing the top-of-the-range configuration. It develops a maximum power of 185 horsepower at 3,500 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm.