Mazda confirms hybrid small SUVs due in 2027, could include CX-3 successor
02/14/2025 12:00 AM
A new-generation Mazda CX-3 appears likely, with Mazda investing millions in its Thailand operations to become an “electrified” small SUV production hub.
A successor to the now 10-year-old Mazda CX-3 city SUV could appear in 2027 with a hybrid option.
Mazda has announced it will invest more than five billion baht ($AU235 million) in Thailand to establish the country as a manufacturing hub for “electrified” small SUVs, which will exported to Japan and other South East Asian countries.
Production of Mazda’s new hybrid small SUVs is expected to commence in 2027.
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Mazda currently builds the CX-3 light SUV in Thailand for most markets – including Australia and Japan – while the CX-30 small SUV is also manufactured there for South East Asia, but imported from Japan for Australia.
Future versions of the CX-3 and CX-30 are the most likely candidates to receive petrol-electric hybrid powertrains, with the Mazda 3-based CX-30 currently limited to 24-volt mild-hybrid options in some markets, while the Mazda 2-based CX-3 is not available with any type of electrification globally.
The Mazda CX-3 launched globally in 2015 and has since been discontinued in the United States and Europe, but it remains available in other markets – including Australia, where it achieved an annual sales record in 2024.
There has been no concrete news on a successor to the current Mazda CX-3 – nor if it will be joined by a new-generation Mazda 2 hatch, or if it will switch to a new name to further differentiate it from the larger CX-30.
MORE: Mazda CX-3 SUV fends off new competition to set annual sales record – VFACTS 2024
Mazda’s global president and chief executive officer Masahiro Moro said the investment will “establish Thailand as a manufacturing hub for its electrified compact SUV products”.
“The vehicles to be produced will be high-performance compact SUVs that meet international standards, both in terms of environmental friendliness and hybrid technology,” Moro said.
“This large-scale comprehensive production investment is to support domestic sales and exports to Japan and other countries, such as ASEAN countries, targeting a production of 100,000 units per year.”
Mazda’s current ‘AutoAlliance’ manufacturing facility in Thailand was established in 1995 in a joint-venture with Ford, while it also operates a separate, independent facility opened in 2015 to manufacture engines and automatic transmissions.
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The investment will allow the carmaker’s two current manufacturing facilities to support electrified vehicle production, including the addition of electric motors and high-voltage batteries, the Thailand Board of Investment said.
Mazda currently manufactures the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda CX-3 and Mazda CX-30 in Thailand in the same building as some Ford Ranger utes and Ford Everest SUVs.
The Mazda 2 and CX-3 – along with the Mazda BT-50 ute built in an Isuzu factory – are the only Mazda vehicles made in Thailand for the Australian market, with all other models sourced from Japan.
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