It’s been five years since Mazda discontinued the CX-3 and more than a decade since it killed the 2 in the United States. Sadly, the company has no plans to bring either model back to America. That said, Mazda continues to sell the two compacts in other markets and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
In an interview with Drive, Vinesh Bhindi, Mazda’s Australian boss, told the publication that "there will be newer generation models." They just might not arrive anytime soon. Bhindi added, "There is a priority list," like the new CX-5, but Bhindi acknowledged the need to refresh the two compacts.
"I mean, I wish we had endless R&D resources that could do everything at once, but that’s not the case," he told the publication. It is unlikely that the two new Mazda compacts will arrive before 2027.
When the next-generation Mazda2 and CX-3 models arrive, which currently share the same platform, both will likely borrow styling cues from the X-Coupe concept, a five-door compact hatchback. It debuted wearing an evolution of Mada’s Kodo design language.
Inside, the concept featured a driver-focused cabin with a flat-bottom steering wheel and no large dashboard screen. It looked sporty and fun, much like the current 2.
We will likely learn more about Mazda’s two smallest offerings in the years to come, but we just won’t be able to buy them.
Motor1’s Take: It would be nice to have a new compact hatchback in the United States, but they just don’t sell well enough. Americans prefer large crossovers and SUVs despite having smaller families and fewer friends than ever.
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Mazda will refresh its CX-3 and Mazda2 models globally but won't bring them to the US market.
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American preference for larger vehicles makes compact cars commercially unviable despite changing demographics.
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The new models will likely debut after 2027 using styling from Mazda's X-Coupe concept car.