Confirming a long-standing rumor, Mazda has announced it will travel to next month’s Los Angeles Motor Show to introduce a subcompact crossover called CX-3.
Mazda’s next crossover will share its platform and the bulk of its mechanical components with the new 2016 Mazda2 hatchback. Official details are few and far between, but industry rumors hint that power for the crossover will come from a turbocharged four-cylinder gas-burning engine that will spin the front wheels via either a manual or an automatic transmission.
A teaser sketch published by Mazda suggests the CX-3 will borrow styling cues such as a shield-shaped radiator grille and narrow headlights from the aforementioned 2 and the larger Mazda3. Sculpted flanks and sharp horizontal tail lamps will emphasize the soft-roader’s KODO genes, bringing it in line with Mazda’s current design language.
The CX-3 will sit noticeably higher than the Mazda2 and it will look more rugged thanks to plastic trim around the wheel arches but all-wheel drive will not be offered.
When launched, the Mazda CX-3 will compete in the hotly-contested subcompact crossover segment against the Jeep Renegade, the Nissan Juke, the Honda HR-V and the Fiat 500X. The CX-3’s base price will likely lie in the vicinity of $20,000.
Additional details about the 2016 Mazda CX-3 will emerge in the weeks leading up to its introduction in Los Angeles.