Mazda 2 and CX-3 safe in Australia for now, despite reports of demise in Japan

The Mazda 2 and CX-3 will reportedly exit the Japanese market by the end of this year, but Mazda says its popular small car offerings will continue to be sold in Australia beyond then.

Japanese publication Creative Trend reports the Mazda 2 and CX-3 will no longer be built for the local market at the conclusion of 2025.

This is unsurprising, given both models entered global production in 2014, making them 11 years old. Most passenger vehicles are replaced by new-generation models every five years or so.

While all Mazda 2s sold in Japan are also made in the nation, the CX-3 is imported from Thailand.

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Australian CX-3s are also imported from Thailand, as are our Mazda 2s.

A spokesperson for Mazda Australia told CarExpert it has no plans on pulling the current models from local showrooms before 2025 concludes.

The third-generation Mazda 2 launched here in 2014, only a few months after its global unveiling, while first local deliveries of the original CX-3 began in 2015.

Though the similarly old Mazda 6 – launched in 2012 – met its Australian demise earlier this year, Mazda has previously remained committed to the smallest models in its local lineup.

Last year, Mazda Australia’s now-former marketing director Alastair Doak told CarExpert that the Mazda 2 and CX-3 “will continue in our lineup for the foreseeable future”.

The Mazda 6 sedan and wagon was pulled from Japanese showrooms in 2024, though production continued for Australia until earlier this year, when a new Australian Design Rule (ADR) came into effect.

Had it not made the Mazda 6 non-compliant, the ageing model could have been sold here even longer.

While there’s no word yet on whether the Mazda 2 nameplate will continue into a fourth generation, a new CX-3 is just around the corner.

Last month, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro announced the carmaker will invest 5 billion Baht ($233.8 million) into a Thai production facility to produce electrified small SUVs, both for the region and for export markets.

After a meeting with Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Moro-san presented the Thai leader with a pair of design sketches of an upcoming model to be built at the factory – believed to be the next Mazda CX-3.

It’s expected to enter production by 2027.

Mazda is yet to detail when the first electrified model will roll off the Thail production line, however it’s targeting 100,000 vehicles to be built there annually.

“With an additional investment of over 5 billion baht, Mazda aims to establish Thailand as the manufacturing hub for its electrified compact SUV products,” Moro-san said.

“The vehicles to be produced will be high performance compact SUVs that meet international standards, both in terms of environmental friendliness and hybrid technology.

“This large-scale comprehensive production investment is to support domestic sales and exports to Japan and other countries, such as ASEAN countries, targeting a production of 100,000 units per year.”

In 2024, 18,461 CX-3s were delivered, making it the most popular light SUV in Australia.

A further 5635 Mazda 2s were registered last year, though it was outsold by the Suzuki Swift (6126 deliveries) and the MG 3 (12,563) in the light passenger car class.

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