SYDNEY: Mazda Australia is counting down the days until its all-new CX-3 arrives, with just over a month remaining until we see the compact SUV in local showrooms.
While it might be natural for a carmaker to anticipate the arrival of a new or updated model, Mazda’s CX-3 could lay claim to being a special exception.
The booming compact SUV segment is one that Mazda is yet to enter, and the CX-3 has the potential to become the segment leader almost from ‘day one’.
That was certainly our impression following a preview drive late last year.
If you needed more convincing that the CX-3 is an important model for Mazda Australia, local motoring scribes were the first journalists in the world to sample it.
Speaking with TMR at the recent 2015 Mazda6 launch, Mazda Australia marketing boss Alastair Doak said the new model could be something of an all-round winner.
“We can only see upsides, we’re pumped to have it,” Mr Doak said.
“I think it will be a winner, no question. The first day we ever saw it when it was just a clay model we said ‘don’t touch it, just build it’.”
The CX-3 will go one-up on some of its rivals by offering a ‘full’ range, including petrol- and diesel-power, two- and all-wheel-drive and both automatic and manual transmissions.
“We’ll offer a big range, probably bigger than some of our rivals. That’s deliberate to maximise CX-3 sales,” Mr Doak said.
“We’re not trying to protect Mazda3 or Mazda2. It will steal some sales from ‘3’, it may steal some from ‘2’ but as long as it’s stealing from within the Mazda family, it doesn’t really matter.”
Mr Doak said Mazda had considered the CX-3’s arrival when predicting Mazda3 sales for 2015, and that the perceived impact on the small hatch and sedan would be minimal.
Mazda has also considered the petrol verses diesel sales split, with Mr Doak saying diesel sales may only be around ten percent of total volume but accurate figures were difficult to predict.
“It’s exciting – we’re going into an all-new segment with an all-new car for us and it really is a case of ‘let’s give it a go and see what happens’,” Mr Doak said.
“March can’t come soon enough.”
The marketing boss said the launch of rival compact SUVs at the same time as the CX-3 would only serve to lift the profile of the segment, and therefore Mazda’s new model. CX-3 also has a “decent” marketing budget behind it.
The 2015 Mazda CX-3 arrives in Australia from next month, with pricing and full specifications yet to be finalised. Stay tuned to TMR for more.
