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Mazda has just announced that as of March 23rd, it has received orders for 10,076 units of the brand new CX-3 crossover that made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. All orders come from Japan, the only country where it's available at the moment, and represent over 3 times the 3,000 which the company originally expected to sell monthly.
63% of the orders came for the XC Touring trim level, followed by 21% for the CXTouring L Package. Essentially, this shows customers want more high-end features on smaller and smaller cars.
The most popular color was Ceramic Metallic, which is essentially silver. 44% CX-3 buyers wanted that, while 19% went for the more exciting Soul Red.
The CX-3 is Mazda's smallest crossover ever, sitting below the CX-5. It's made in Japan and shares its underpinnings with the Mazda2 supermini. Engines include a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter Skyactiv petrol and a brand new 1.5-liter diesel which Mazda say has gotten rid of the knocking sound diesels usually produced.
Though small, this 1.5-liter diesel packs 105 PS and 270 Nm (200 lb-ft) of torque, being available in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations and matched to a 6-speed auto. The most economical models will burn just 4 l/100km in the combined cycle, equivalent to CO2 emissions of 105 g/km. Mazda sales suggest 13% of customers opted for the i-Eloop brake energy recovery system.
Will it sell as well in Europe and America? We think so, especially since it seems to straddle the gap between cute but crammed B-segment crossovers like the Juke and more practical ones like the Qashqai. The CX-3 measures 4,275mm (168 inches) in length while the 1,765mm (69 inches) overall width should mean it's still maneuverable around town.
Anyway, we checked out the CX-3 in Geneva already, but if you want to see exactly what the Japanese are buying, look at this walkaround video of an XD Touring L 4WD model with a 1.5-liter diesel. If imported, it would cost about $26,000, which is a lot for a compact.