As Mazda's CX-3 Sheds Trims in the U.S., UK Buyers Can Expect a Disappearance

The smallest Mazda crossover, which happened to be too small for a friend of this writer, enters the new decade with a greatly reduced presence. Not just in America, but overseas, too.

While the U.S.-market CX-3 subcompact stands to lose all but one trim in a carefully calculated move by Mazda brass, a different plan is afoot on the other side of the Atlantic.

As reported by CarsDirect last month, 2020 CX-3 selection will amount to just the base Sport model, with the better-outfitted Touring and Grand Touring trims relegated to the wastebasket. This was done to put more room between the model and Mazda’s upcoming CX-30 crossover, which splits the size difference between the CX-3 and compact CX-5.

Hardly a strong seller, the new CX-3 reportedly starts at $21,685 after destination. That’s less than $1,300 below the CX-30’s starting price.

In the UK, Autocar reports that the CX-3 will vanish from the Mazda lineup for a period of time. While that market also receives the tweener CX-30, a brand spokesperson claimed the CX-3’s removal is merely temporary. In that market, like other EU countries, automakers are grappling with vastly stringent emissions regulations that go into effect in 2020; Mazda recently announced it will reduce the number of 2.0-liter MX-5 models sold in the UK to meet its fleetwide emissions limits.

It is believed Britain’s CX-3 will reappear only when it receives a new mild-hybrid 1.5-liter engine borrowed from its platform mate, the Mazda 2. With emissions in check, the CX-3 can then return to the lineup without threatening Mazda’s environmental standing. Of course, the model will still face newfound competition from its larger sibling.

In the U.S., the CX-3 sold 5,000 fewer units than the 6 sedan through November, with year-to-date volume down 5.9 percent. Overall, Mazda sales fell 8.2 percent in 2019.

[Image: Chris Tonn/TTAC]