The CX-3, which is the crossover take on the Mazda2 hatchback, was put into production at the manufacturer’s Ujina plant in Hiroshima back in December 2014. Then Mazda contracted Auto Alliance in Thailand to build the CX-3 as well. Now, two years after the first example rolled off the line, the Hofu plant joins in as well.
Hence, the 2017 Mazda CX-3 is now manufactured by three assembly complexes in two countries as a response to the strengthening demand for crossovers and SUVs. By introducing the CX-3 to Hofu in Japan, Mazda also released the strain on Ujina, a plant which now operates at full capacity to bring the seven-seater CX-9 and the all-new CX-5 to dealership lots.
While we wait for the CX-5 to roll out into Japanese dealers this coming February, the CX-9 is a hit in the United States of America. Priced from $31,520 and available exclusively with the newly-introduced SkyActiv-G 2.5T, the CX-9 is the biggest Mazda sport utility vehicle in production today.
The CX-3, meanwhile, is the gateway to Mazda’s jacked-up range, with pricing kicking off at $19,960 in the U.S. Only one engine is available in the North American market, namely a SkyActiv-G 2.0-liter four-banger with 146 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque. The drivetrain, meanwhile, comes in front- and i-Activ AWD flavors, and with a 6-speed automatic tranny.
Over the pond in Europe, the CX-3 is available with either a 2.0-liter or the SkyActiv-D 1.5 turbo diesel. The latter drinks as little as 4.0 liters of fuel over the course of 100 kilometers on the NEDC combined cycle, a figure the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine could only dream of. Better still, it’s the torquiest engine of the whole lot, packing 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of oomph.
The all-new Mazda CX-5, meanwhile, slots between the CX-3 and CX-9. Slated to arrive in the U.S. and Europe by summer 2017, the second-generation model in Japan-spec form can be had with any of the following three engines: SkyActiv-G 2.0, SkyActiv-G 2.5, and the SkyActiv-D 2.2. In Japan, the SkyActiv-Drive 6-speed automatic is the sole cog swapper available.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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