The Mazda2 And CX-3 Maybe it’s making some headway, but the Japanese brand’s local boss says the long-running light car and light SUV model lines aren’t going anywhere for some time.
In conversation with Daily SparkzMazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi said the brand’s smallest and cheapest models will remain on sale here for at least the next two years.
“There are some items circulating that (Mazda 2 and CX-3) will be phased out soon and I can confirm that Mazda 2 and CX-3 will be in our portfolio this year, they will be in our portfolio next year and it is an important segment for us,” Mr Bhindi said.
“At some point there may be replacements, but right now these two cars, these two nameplates, remain in our portfolio because they comply with (Australian design rules), they continue to be manufactured in our Thai factory and that’s why we have access to them.”
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Furthermore, Manabu Osuga, General Manager of Global Marketing and Sales at Mazda Motor Corporation, said that the vision shown at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show
“This (Vision X-Compact) is a vision model, so a design vision, and also a concept model to test the next generation of Mazda design,” Osuga-san said.
“The discussion with the design team… we really need to evolve our way of designing, so this is the first attempt we’ve tested – how are we going to make the compact car based on the Mazda design concept or philosophy?”
“The feedback we received around the world was very positive, so that was a win. (However), there is no real intention to apply this design theme to, say, the next generation Mazda 2. (It is) under discussion whether we want to prepare the Mazda 2 successor or not.”
“What we care about is the customer base and the way we serve customers throughout their lives, which means that life stage cars are very important,” Osuga-san continued.
“So if we think about the life phase of the Mazda 2 and CX-3, it is an entry-level car for young people, but also for people who don’t like empty space.
“From this perspective, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the global market. What are the needs and wants of customers? There are some markets that really care about the size of the car – but entry-level cars and empty cars also value price.”
“Whether we decide to make the size (of the new vehicle) equal to the Mazda 2 or Mazda 3, or whether we prioritize price coverage, that is the discussion we are having (at a global level).”
“So I’m not necessarily naming the successor to the Mazda 2 or CX-3, but our goal is to cover the customer base and needs of consumers in each market,” Osuga-san added.
Despite their increasing age, the current Mazda 2 and CX-3 models remain very popular in Australia.
In 2025, around 15,429 Australians received a new CX-3, with a further 4,346 Mazda 2s registered Down Under last year. Both figures were below 2024 levels, but the CX-3 remains Mazda’s second best seller in Australia behind the larger CX-5.
In terms of the respective VFACTS segments, the Mazda 2 is second only to the MG 3 in the light car class, while the CX-3 was once again the leader in the light SUV segment – despite the price-leading base classes of both models being axed last year.
Both compact models will also hold their own in 2026, with the Mazda 2 currently holding almost 20 percent market share and the CX-3 as of February just over 30 percent.
The Mazda 2, once offered for under $20,000, is now available in its most affordable form at $27,290, while the CX-3 range starts at $30,670 (both excluding on-road costs).
Both models have been on sale in their current generation since 2014, making Mazda’s entry-level models 12 years old.
Fancy a new generation Mazda 2 or CX-3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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