2015 Mazda CX-3

4 June, 2015   By: Alex Forrest

In Western Australia, small SUVs are one of the few new vehicle segments which are actually growing, and the Mazda CX-3 can take some responsibility for that.

The recently arrived little Mazda does have its fair share of rivals though, such as the Honda HR-V, Nissan Qashqai, Subaru XV, Holden Trax, Renault Captur and Mitsubishi ASX.

Based on Mazda 2, the CX-3 runs on taller suspension and some flared guards, while underneath there’s the option of all-wheel drive.

Hence, the CX-3 has the same wheelbase as the Mazda 2, but the bodywork is longer, taller and wider.

It was launched in Australia in February this year, and generally to high acclaim.

Among the main benefits of baby SUVs like the CX-3 is that you can get that extra ride height without having to shell out for the cost of a mid-sized SUV. In the case of the CX-3, that’s less than $23,000.

So, what’s it like?

Well, we spent a week driving the CX-3 and first impressions are that in the first year at least, Mazda won’t be able to make enough of them.

Critical to the CX-3’s appeal is its super-sharp pricing, stunning styling, good fit and finish and respectable safety and driving performance.

Stepping into it, there’s been no skimping on build quality, so you can expect the same fit and finish as you get on other larger, late model Mazdas.

The only real drawback of the CX-3 is its tight interior space, which is of course a symptom of it Mazda 2 parentage. Put a couple of hefty blokes in the front of the CX-3 and all of a sudden the walls seem close.

The boot is tiny too, at 264 litres, though the floor height can be adjusted with a movable board. The Honda HR-V’s boot is 437 litres and the Nissan Qashqai’s is 430 litres.

Actually, we reckon a number of punters will come to showrooms looking for a CX-3, but drive out in a CX-5. The latter can do no wrong right now.

Both the 109kW/192Nm petrol and the all-new 77kW/270Nm diesel are hard workers, but we’d take the petrol just for its better flexibility compared with the little diesel. However, diesels aren’t always available in SUVs this size so its inclusion in the CX-3 is a welcome option.

The petrol simply has a good amount of grunt for a vehicle this size, and fuel consumption is good with an Australian Design Rules (ADR) test figure of 6.1L/100km. Real world consumption isn’t much worse – we got 7.3L/100km.

The diesel is much more frugal with an ADR number of 5.1L/100km. Our test vehicle was the petrol, though we did drive the diesel at the CX-3’s national launch.

The diesel is willing and smooth enough, but in this vehicle, the petrol just makes more sense given there’s not much weight (around 1,300kg) to haul around and the lower price of unleaded.

The CX-3’s pointy pricing puts it under rivals such as the Honda HR-V and Renault Captur.

There are four model grades, starting with the entry level Neo, then up to the Maxx, sTouring and the range-topping Akari.

Safety in the CX-3 is excellent, but at the time of writing it hadn’t been rated by ANCAP. A reversing camera is standard on all variants except the base model.

Safety assist technologies such as autonomous braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and automatic high beam control are optional on all models except the top of the range Akari.

This is a hugely appealing small SUV and it’s hardly surprising that right now, demand for them is such that you’ll have to wait until August to get one.

Some variants of this vehicle qualify for RAC's Less Emissions Mission rewards.