The small crossover category has exploded and many of them just sort of blend in. Then there’s the new Mazda CX-3 and it stands out in the best way possible.

It’s not weird like the Nissan Juke, or caught up in heritage like the Mini Countryman or Jeep Renegade. But thanks to the Mazda family lineage, it cuts a more striking profile than a Buick Encore or Audi Q3. And it’s probably the most adventurous of the recent Mazdas when it comes to styling. The CX-3 then stands out from this crowded segment in a good way.

I don’t get Mazda’s need to show off their new cars first in their trademark Soul Red color when white seems to be the best color for the new 2016 MX-5 Miata and now this CX-3. The RHD, diesel manual they had on the stand was

Space, admittedly, is tight in this interior, although four will be fine. I couldn’t get the back open to see what the cargo space was like, but I’m thinking more in line with a Juke than the super-spacious HR-V.

But the CX-3’s interior design also stands out from the pack. The quality is good like the facelifted CX-5 and Mazda6, but this new simple design derived from the 2015 Mazda2 and the new MX-5 invokes an Audi sense of style and quality – even if it’s not quite that high.

On the face of things, then, the CX-3 has everything to make it a home run for Mazda.

By Zac Estrada

Photos Zac Estrada/Carscoops

Photos