Mazda commits to affordable compact cars in Australia as it considers new-generation successors

The Mazda 2 and CX-3 might be getting on a bit, but the Japanese brand’s local chief says the long-running light car and light SUV model lines aren’t going anywhere for some time.

According to Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi, the brand’s smallest and most affordable models will remain on sale here for at least the next two years, speaking with childcareman.xyz.

I can confirm that Mazda 2 and CX-3 are in our portfolio this year, they’ll be in the portfolio next year. It’s an important segment for us to have a piece of articles floating around saying ‘Mazda 2 or Cx-3’.

It is possible to have replacements at a stage but right here, those two cars — that’s the nameplates — are in our portfolio because they will be comply with [Australian Design Rules] and still remain manufacturered in we Thailand plant; so we can access [them]]. Paraphrasingr ’It is.

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Mazda 2

Furthermore, the general manager for global marketing and sales at Mazda Motor Corporation, Manabu Osuga, said the Vision X-Compact Concept shown at last year’s Tokyo motor show demonstrates that Mazda is evaluating a new-generation compact car (or cars) behind the scenes.

Osuga-san said ‘That [Vision X-Compact] is a vision model, meaning he has modeled the concept model and also as well as – if I am trying to test the next generation of Mazda design.

So this is the first test of our approach to designing – according to the Mazda design concept or philosophy, how will we make that compact car?

It was a win, because we received very positive feedback from around the world so that’s what we said. Yet [However] this doesn’t really mean that it is going to apply that design theme to the next generation of Mazda 2 for, let’s say. It’s [It’S] under debate whether we want to make the Mazda 2 successor or not.

Osuga-san continued ‘What we care [about] is the customer base, and how we [cater to] customers for [their] lifetimes (meaning life stage cars are very important.

It’s an entry car for young people, as well as the empty-nester.

Assuming that from there we are doing a deep-dive analysis of the global market, what is the customer’s needs and wants? There are some markets [that] really care about car size but entry car and empty-nesters care also about price point.

It’s the debate we are having [at a global level] about whether we go with making the size [of this new car] Mazda 2 equivalent or Mazda 3 equivalent, or that is what we care about the price coverage.”

Osuga-San said ‘We’re not necessarily naming the successor of the Mazda 2 or CX-3, but we will be committed to customer base and consumers need in individual market.

Despite their advancing age, the current Mazda 2 and CX-3 remain enduringly popular in Australia.

A new CX-3 was delivered in 2025 by some 15,429 Australians, with another 4346 Mazda 2s registered Down Under last year. The figure was down on 2024 levels, but the CX-3 is still Mazda’s second-best seller in Australia behind the larger Cx-5.

Compared to the Mazda 2 (which is second only to that of the MG 3 in the light-car class) relative to their respective VFACTS segments, the CX-3 was once again top dog in this segment of an electric car; although the base grades of both models are price-leading last year and were priced at high levels.

Both compact models are firmly on the ground in 2026, with the Mazda 2 currently holding only less than one per cent market share and the CX-3 just over 30 percent as of February.

The Mazda 2 has been a sub-$20,000 offer for the first time, starting at $27,290 in its most realistic form; CX-3 range starts from $30,670 (not on-road costs) and $3 ($30,670).

Both models have been on sale in their current generation since 2014, making Mazda’s entry level models 12 years old.

Mazda Vision X-Compact Concept

Keen on a new-generation Mazda 2 or CX-3? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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