The public presentation at the New York Salon in March revealed a Mazda CX-3 slightly revised: only the grille was redesigned and the rear optics are in LED, and it gets, as an option, new 18″ wheels, the color Red Soul Crystal, and Matrix LED optics. Inside, the manual handbrake gives way to an electric one, which forced the center console to be redesigned, and there is now a storage compartment under the armrest.
The Japanese brand also announces new suspension adjustments, new tires and front seats with a new foam with greater cushioning, which contribute to greater levels of comfort — acoustic and rolling — and an even more captivating driving experience. Safety has not been forgotten, with the CX-3 receiving an advanced version of the Smart City Brake Support system, which now allows it to detect pedestrians at night.
diesel grows
But the big news is not in sight. The new Mazda CX-3 gets a new diesel engine , or in Mazda language, a new SKYACTIV-D, which replaces the current 1.5. The new proposal sees its capacity grow 257 cm3, totaling 1756 cm3, and is already on sale in Japan.
The big news up front is the grid.
At the moment, Mazda has yet to reveal the specifications of the new powerplant for the European market, but in Japan, this new 1.8 SKYACTIV-D delivers 116 hp at 4000 rpm and 270 Nm between 1600 and 2600 rpm — 11 hp more than 1.5 but with identical maximum torque value.
The main reason for this increase in capacity is that it is easier to surpass all standards and protocols — Euro 6D-TEMP, WLTP and RDE. In addition to the increased capacity, the 1.8 SKYACTIV-D also receives new injectors, pistons with redesigned heads, as well as the revised variable geometry turbo.
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And Portugal?
This is not good news for Portugal, where the purchase price and IUC are (wrongly) influenced by engine capacity, the main reason the Mazda CX-3 is only available here with the 1.5 SKYACTIV-D engine — elsewhere Europe, the best-selling engine is the 2.0 SKYACTIV-G, petrol, with 120 hp.
The 2.0 SKYACTIV-G has also been updated, taking on the advances already seen in the CX-5 — pistons with new heads and high-dispersion injectors — with the brand ensuring a wider distribution of torque across all engine speeds, while also allowing get better consumptions.
The model will be sold during the summer, when we should know more about the new engine.