Mazda Australia has removed the diesel engine option from its current-generation CX-3 light SUV.
Australia previously imported the Hyundai Venue rival from Thailand, but at the start of this year, it began sourcing it from Japan instead.
A Mazda spokesperson told CarsGuide the shift in production provided the company with the opportunity to rationalise the CX-3 range, part of which included withdrawing its 1.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine from sale.
Expected to account for just one per cent of CX-3 sales upon its launch in August 2018, the unit produced 85kW of power and 270Nm of torque, and was exclusively mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
The diesel engine was available in three grades: mid-range Maxx Sport and sTouring, and flagship Akari. The former was front-wheel drive, while the latter two were all-wheel drive.
For reference, pricing for the trio ranged from $29,050 to $40,350 plus on-road costs.
The CX-3 is now only available with a 110kW/195Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, the cost of which is unchanged. It can also be matched with a six-speed manual.
Justin Hilliard
Head of Editorial
Justin’s dad chose to miss his birth because he wanted to watch Peter Brock hopefully win Bathurst, so it figures Justin grew up to have a car obsession, too – and don’t worry, his dad did turn up in time after some stern words from his mum.
That said, despite loving cars and writing, Justin chose to pursue career paths that didn’t lend themselves to automotive journalism, before eventually ending up working as a computer technician. But that car itch just couldn’t be scratched by his chipped Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7), so he finally decided to give into the inevitable and study a Master of Journalism at the same time.
And even with the long odds, Justin was lucky enough to land a full-time job as a motoring journalist soon after graduating and the rest, as they say, is history. These days, Justin happily finds himself working at CarsGuide during the biggest period of change yet for the automotive industry, which is perhaps the most exciting part of all.
In case you’re wondering, Justin begrudgingly sold the Golf R (sans chip) and still has plans to buy his dream car, an E46 BMW M3 coupe (manual, of course), but he is in desperate need of a second car space – or maybe a third.
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