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A design sketch potentially previewing the next-generation Mazda CX-3 SUV has been shown in Thailand with elements borrowed from the 6e EV and new-generation CX-5.
Mazda has previewed its upcoming hybrid small SUV in design sketches, which could be a replacement for the current CX-3.
The sketches were revealed during a meeting between Mazda president and CEO Masahiro Moro, Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and other delegates to announce the brand's five billion baht ($AU233 million) investment in the country to build electrified small SUVs.
Design sketches are often an early preview of an upcoming production vehicle with some missing components, such as the side mirrors and door handles, along with oversized wheels, shorter front and rear overhangs, and a sleeker roofline.
The concept vehicle shown appears to align with a potential successor to the current Mazda CX-3, with smaller dimensions similar to a Mazda 2 hatch or Toyota Yaris Cross city SUV, and gloss-black lower body cladding like today's CX-3 GT SP and Akari.
The sketch also shows a similar grille and headlight design to the new Mazda 6e electric sedan – called the EZ-6 in China where it is built – and the new-generation CX-5 mid-size SUV, with an L-shaped daytime running light.
An alloy wheel design similar to the current Mazda 2 Sci-Fi variant sold in Japan is also visible in the sketch of the front of the vehicle, showing black alloys with U-shaped spokes and green accents.
Mazda has invested millions into its two Thailand factories to establish the country as a manufacturing hub for "electrified" small SUVs, with its main plant shared with Ford under a joint-venture established 30 years ago, currently building the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda CX-3, Mazda CX-30, Ford Ranger and Ford Everest.
Production of the hybrid small SUVs is expected to commence in Thailand in 2027, with exports confirmed for Japan and other South East Asian countries.
The Mazda 2-based CX-3 city SUV is currently built in Thailand for most global markets, including Australia and Japan, while the Mazda 3-based CX-30 small SUV is manufactured in Japan, Thailand, Mexico and China, depending on where it is sold.
Australian-market versions of the CX-30 are sourced from Japan, along with the Mazda 3 hatch and sedan.
Mazda has confirmed it will launch five new models in the right-hand drive Thailand market in the next three years, including the Mazda 6e electric sedan later this year, which is under consideration for Australia.
It is also expected to include the CX-80 Plug-In Hybrid seven-seater already available in Australia, an electric mid-size SUV likely to be called EZ-60 in China and CX-6e elsewhere in the world, the hybrid small SUV shown in the sketches, and another hybrid model due in 2028.
While the second hybrid model could be the next-generation 2026 Mazda CX-5 Hybrid expected to launch globally later this year, it is not scheduled to arrive in Thailand until 2028 – though the current Malaysian-built version of the popular SUV sold in Thailand appears to be on a different production timeline to Japan, with its most-recent facelift launched in 2024, three years after it originally debuted.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
