What's all this about?
Mazda gives its SUVs (or crossovers; whatever's your poison) the badging CX - we had the 7 first, which was supplanted by the tauter 5 and the larger 9. Well, now a new one is on the way and as it's smaller than the 5, it's going to be called the CX-3. It will make its first global appearance at the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of November.
Which sector of the market will it compete in?
It's based on the platform of the Mazda2 hatchback and is squarely targeting the Nissan Juke, so we're talking the smallest crossovers going. That also means it could be a rival for the MINI Countryman and similar jacked-up hatches.
Can you tell me anything about its technology?
No, not beyond the fact it will use Mazda's Skyactiv engines - probably the 1.5-litre versions, one petrol, one diesel.
What about the outside?
Well, this image is the first official peek at the CX-3, which employs the Kodo 'Soul of Motion' design language familiar throughout Mazda's current range. That means it'll be crisp to look at, with one or two eye-catching sweeping lines to make it look like it's moving when it isn't; Mazdas are generally, at the moment, attractive cars.
Anything else on Mazda's LA stand?
The all-new MX-5 roadster is introduced to the Americans for the first time, with Mazda saying it will tailor its engine offerings according to the market the car is sold in. Therefore, North America won't get the car with the Skyactiv-G 1.5-litre petrol unit, instead making do with the larger 2.0-litre lump from the same family.
Matt Robinson - 30 Oct 2014