Mazda enters subcompact crossover segment with 2016 CX-3

Mazda dove into the burgeoning market for subcompact crossover SUVs with the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show introduction of the CX-3, a stylish new tall wagon built on the platform of the new Mazda2/Demio.

As with other recent Mazda introductions, the CX-3 features the company's Skyactiv drivetrain and platform technology, an all-encompassing philosophy of coordinated optimization of efficiency that provides useful benefits from the aggregation of tiny improvements.

Mazda describes the CX-3's chassis as a simplification of the Skyactiv architecture, one that employs increased use of high-tensile steel and optimized cross-section shapes to provide light weight and positive damping characteristics.