CX-3 is the latest compact SUV to hit Irish shores. The Japanese, five-door Mazda2-based crossover takes up a small bit of the road but its striking good looks ensure it won't be ignored. CX-3 features a very well-crafted exterior design that places it firmly at the premium end of this red hot sector.
Mazda has slightly tweaked the 2's chassis to deliver a taller car with more ground clearance. CX-3, with its modest off-road ability, faces stiff competition from the new kids on block. This includes Renegade from Jeep with its old school SUV look; its sister car, the FIAT 500X, which, again, tugs on heartstrings with its retro curvy styling; and then, of course, the latest Suzuki Vitara is also an interesting proposition.
CX-3's styling doesn't really target any of these models directly, but is perhaps targeting buyers of Nissan's Micra-based Juke, Captur from Renault or the brilliant Citroen C4 Cactus – all cheaper, too. Where CX-3 scores highly is in desirability. CX-3 features beautiful lines and a dominant grille that looks classy. The sweeping shoulder line that rises as it travels towards the rear of the car might reduce visibility for rear seat passengers but, in a similar way to Range Rover Evoque's styling, it works.
Inside the cabin you'll find all the familiar Mazda family switchgear and a good standard of build quality. The cabin is compact but there is good headroom. The boot holds a usable 350 litres and with seats folded there is up to 1,260 litres of cargo space. Irish cars come in four grades: SE, Executive, SE Executive and GT. The entry car gets a decent level of equipment, e.g. air conditioning, keyless starting, all-round electric windows, hill hold assist, daytime running lights and 16" steel wheels that are covered by some pretty forgetful plastic wheel trims.
Entry versions are never volume sellers so it will be grade 2 (Executive) where most sales should come from (€21,895 petrol/€24,195 diesel). For the real premium feel, GT trim gets you loads of kit including 18-inch alloys. Optional equipment includes leather seats and an integrated Sat Nav with an optional subscription service that provides live traffic updates etc. There is even a head-up display, or as Mazda calls it, 'Active Driving Display'. Under the bonnet is a range of impressive SKYACTIV engines that deliver power in a pretty green way.
First up, we drove the 1.5-litre diesel (€190 road tax) in front- wheel drive guise, an engine we first saw in the new Mazda2. It has 105hp and 270nm of torque. It's this pulling power that helps deliver enough poke to have a bit of fun behind the wheel.
On the road CX-3 is surprisingly quiet. In the five-seat cabin, the level of road noise is impressively low for a Mazda. The suspension set-up (McPherson Struts/Torsion Beam) is more on the soft side than firm and ride comfort is pretty good. The steering is precise but geared a little slower than the Mazda2. We're told this is to make it easier to use at higher motorway/autobahn speeds. Like the Mazda2, CX-3 has side mirrors that are set quite far rearward on the doors and this will annoy some users while also being an interesting design element!
GT trim grade comes in a choice of FWD (€27,695) or AWD (all-wheel drive from €30,195) with diesel power only. A 2.0-litre petrol with 120hp is the entry point price-wise at €20,695. Ireland gets seven models in its CX-3 range. All versions get a seven-inch, dash-mounted colour touch screen display and the exterior features two beefy-looking exhaust pipes. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but a six-speed automatic is also available.
CX-3 is not cheap, but Mazda has delivered a great little machine with beautiful styling… for VW Golf money!
Mazda hopes to sell up to 400 CX-3s in a full year.
Michael Sheridan
