Built on the Mazda 2 platform, the CX 3 debuted at Los Angeles Auto Show in 2014 and it was one of the most highly anticipated vehicles from that segment in that year.
The small-segment started to fade away in favor of small crossover vehicles. The lifted suspension was not only better for driving over curbs and roaming with confidence over speed-bumps. It also allowed easy access inside the vehicle.

It was the fifth Mazda model to use the Kodo design language. Through that design language, Mazda said the car expresses its motion soul with its swept, curved lines. Its dimensions are between the Mazda 2 and Mazda 3. But, since it was a crossover, it was higher than both of them. And it wasn’t higher only from the lifted suspension. The bodywork was higher than the 2. That allowed a bigger interior headroom. The higher ground clearance was nicely masked with black plastics around the wheel-arches and side-sills.

Inside, there was room for four passengers. Due to a higher seating position, the legroom in the back was very good for the vehicle’s size. The car featured an infotainment system on top of the dashboard with a controller between the front seats, or via the touch-screen.

Under the hood, there were two engine variants, with automatic or manual transmission. The car was available with front or all-wheel-drive. Its safety systems included autonomous braking systems, lane departure warnings, cruise control, and speed limiter.