Mazda CX-3 vs Renault Symbioz

What's the difference?

Mazda has updated one of its most popular, but rather old models. 

Yes, the Mazda CX-3 is still around after more than a decade since its reveal, and it remains almost at the tippy-top of Mazda’s local sales charts.

With the brand having shifted 8221 CX-3s in the first half of 2025, it seems the light updates and modest price rise haven’t scared away any potential customers.

We’ve grabbed a CX-3 Evolve, the second-up of four available variants, to see if the popular light SUV still stacks up, or if you’re better off taking your money elsewhere.

Are you the kind of person who doesn’t mind standing out? You like to go against the flow?

Well, if so, you might be exactly the kind of person who buys the all-new Renault Symbioz, the French brand’s new small SUV.

“It stands out in a sea of same-same SUVs,” is how Renault Australia General Manager Glen Sealey sums up the Symbioz.

The problem for Renault, is that it is a very big sea it finds itself in the middle of. The small SUV segment is the second biggest part of the local new car market in 2026, behind only mid-size SUVs and ahead of utes. 

And it is full of well-known and popular models including the best-selling Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Hyundai Kona, GWM Haval Jolion, Jaecoo J5, Mazda CX-30, MG ZS, Toyota Corolla Cross and the list goes on. 

Certainly from a looks perspective the Symbioz stands out. But it also stands out for other reasons, such as being a bit more expensive than many of its rivals and because it is the last French brand left in the Australian market following the decline of Citroen and Peugeot. 

Sealey said he expects the Symbioz to be the best-selling Renault model in Australia, and it arrives in the middle of a major product overhaul that will see six new or updated models arrive in the span of 18 months. 

But does the Symbioz really have what it takes to stand out from the pack and win over those not afraid to try something different, or will it be lost in a vast sea of SUVs?