- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
109kW, 192Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 6.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2017 Mazda CX-3 new car review
Mazda is sticking with a winning formula to update its baby SUV.
Just as it has done with the recently revised mid-sized CX-5, the smaller CX-3 has come in for a mild update designed to keep it fresh and on top of shopping lists for those in the market for an urban runabout.
As part of the updrage, external changes are limited to little more than a different shade on the alloy wheels of higher-grade cars (from black to dark grey in case you were wondering) and that's it. No new bumpers, headlights, or grilles for this update.
Inside the changes are similarly low-key and consist of a new steering wheel and gauge cluster, a colour head-up display for those vehicles fitted with it and little more.
Most importantly though, Mazda has bumped up the level of standard safety with autonomous braking (called Smart City Brake Support) and added features across the board to help keep the CX-3 competitive against a growing crop of small SUV competitors.
Mazda has maintained the model range for the 2017 CX-3 range, which means four trim grades (Neo, Maxx, sTouring, and Akari) with a choice of petrol or diesel power, front- or all-wheel drive, and a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic for petrol models and auto only for diesels.
Pricing has moved slightly with Neo and Maxx models climbing by $500 to start from $20,490 plus on-road costs and $22,890 plus on-roads respectively, both with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, six-speed manual, and front-wheel drive.
The price of the sTouring holds firm, starting from $26,990 (plus on-roads), while the Akari takes a small $200 increase starting from $31,490 (plus on-roads.
The big ticket item is the adoption of Smart City Brake Support, Mazda's version of Autonomous Emergency Braking, which works both forwards and in reverse. Other new safety equipment includes blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert on Maxx, sTouring, and Akari with Driver Attention Alert fatigue monitoring and Traffic Sign Recognition for the sTouring and Akari along with extra convenience features through all grades to help justify the price change.
Mazda has also added its G-Vectoring Control chassis technology for a more engaging drive, plus fiddled with suspension and steering settings and engines and suspension mounts to improve refinement, with diesel models going further still thanks to a range of noise and vibration suppression measures first seen on the Mazda6 last year.
The CX-3 is still a relatively fresh car having first gone on sale in 2015, so it stands to reason that the interior design didn't really need much done to keep it up to date.
Mazda has added its new steering wheel design (you'll find it in everything from MX-5 to CX-9) and installed a simpler, less fussy instrument cluster. The Active Driving Display of the sTouring and Akari also moves to a revised design and features colour graphics.
As before the CX-3 range sticks to hard plastics on the dash and doors, and goes without a lidded centre console or armrest - features not expected in the segment just a few years ago but ones that are starting to appear in newer small SUVs.
The front seats are comfortable, and the driving position feels just about spot-on, but visibility out of the slender glasshouse might be an issue for some and, just like before, the rear seats can be a little compact when it comes to legroom, with a restricted view outwards owing to the rising window line.
Fabric trim on the Neo and Maxx is attractive and comfortable, while sTouring features a fake leather and cloth interior and Akari goes for leather and suede, with optional white leather, as well as adding a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support and memory function.
There's still no screen for the Neo's infotainment system, and as a result no reversing camera either (but it can be added as a $500 accessory with a screen integrated into the rear-view mirror). From the Maxx model up, there's a 7.0-inch touchscreen unit with digital radio, smartphone app compatibility (but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), satellite navigation and six-speaker audio.
As for how it drives, Mazda's engineering story is a subtle one but key to its on-road manners. The headline act is G-Vectoring Control (and I'll get to that later) but buyers are sure to appreciate the work put into making the cabin quieter and more comfortable.
Changes have been made to cabin sound deadening with noise absorption materials, foam-filled pillars, thicker door glass, wider cabin seals, and even the engine mounts of petrol models to reduce road and wind noise.
Diesel models also feature High-Precision Boost Control, Natural Sound Smoother, and Natural Sound Frequency control technologies which are designed to make the engine quieter overall, with reduced 'diesel knock' and more refined running through adjustments to the combustion cycle and timing - some hefty engineering to make the diesel experience more pleasant.
The G-Vectoring Control system is another engineering-intensive story but basically it's designed to increase driver engagement while making the car more stable by making minute changes to front tyre loads through the engine management. It's tricky stuff, designed to make drivers feel more engaged in the driving experience, but less jittery and fatigued on longer trips.
To go with G-Vectoring there's also minor changes to the steering settings, suspension mountings, and damper tune, and while it may not feel vastly different to the previous CX-3 to drive, the result should be smoother, quieter running and improved roadholding.
As far as engine outputs are concerned nothing has changed as the 1.5-litre turbo diesel still produces 77kW and 270Nm and sits as the 'grunty' choice in the lineup, though the 109kW and 192Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol has healthy outputs against its competitors.
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Time behind the wheel was spent in the petrol Maxx with auto and two-wheel drive - set to be the most popular combination with Australian buyers and it isn't hard to see why.
On suburban melbourne streets the CX-3 feels right at home ducking through traffic, is lively enough away from the lights, and is quiet and refined unless you really work it hard.
The six-speed automatic is as smooth as you'll find, and less prone to the lifelessness that affects some CVT automatics in competitors like the Honda HR-V and Toyota C-HR.
Out of town there's still a little road noise present depending on the type of tarmac, but it was easier to hold a conversation with a front seat passenger so that aspect has improved slightly.
Into the hills and the CX-3 handles itself well, turning in accurately, and holding the road securely. Keeping pace on an incline instigates a sharp kickdown through the gears which can ruffle the cabin ambience slightly, but overall Mazda's smallest SUV does a convincing job of behaving like a slightly larger one in terms of comfort.
In the end, it's clear that, as Australia's most popular SUV, Mazda didn't need to tear up the rule-book and start again with the CX-3.
Admittedly it's disappointing to see a reverse camera still hasn't made it to the standard features list of the base model, but the inclusion of autonomous braking is equally important and now ensures that Mazda has its entire passenger car range covered with Smart City Brake support.
As before the CX-3 is enjoyable to drive, but a tight boot and limited rear seat space make this a small SUV for the style-conscious, rather than buyers looking for pure practicality.
2017 Mazda CX-3 price and specifications
Price: From $20,490
Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol; 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 109kW at 6000rpm; 77kW at 4000rpm
Torque: 192Nm at 2800rpm; 270Nm at 1600-2500rpm
Transmission: six-speed manual (petrol only) and six-speed auto; front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive
Fuel use: 6.1-6.7L/100km (petrol); 4.4-4.8L/100km (diesel)