At a recent conference in Thailand, Mazda’s local executives announced the company’s plans and directions for the country and the region. Those plans include five new models in three years, and while we’re already familiar with those products (including what looks to be the CX-90 or CX-80), there was something new on the board.
2024 Mazda CX-30
- Base MSRP
-
$24,995
- Engine
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2.5L Inline-4 Gas
- Horsepower
-
191-250 hp
- Torque
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186-320 lb-ft
- Top Speed
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124 mph
A new compact crossover was shown in two sketches. A model that looks to give us a glimpse of what could be a new CX-3 or CX-30, and that almost certainly is our best look yet at the design language of the next generation of Mazda vehicles.
Mazda Plans Big Moves In Thailand
The conference was held to announce plans for a $150m investment to build electrified vehicles in Thailand, and for that reason, the country’s Board of Investment was there, including Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Mazda’s teaser wasn’t part of the conference but instead part of a document shared with the PM by Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro. Autolife Thailand was at the event, which is how we know about the image.
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The two sketches were presented in a folder along with a letter addressed to the PM. It reads “Dear Prime Minister Paetongtarn, as a token of our appreciation for your [unreadable] and friendship.”
At the front, the SUV in the sketches looks very much like an evolution of Mazda’s current face. The side views don’t have the detailing we’ve seen on recent Mazdas, including the CX-30 and CX-50, but the roofline has some elements from the CX-30 and also from the oddball MX-30 EV. The rear side window opening and taillights especially are MX-30 and even, yes, MX-5.
Special Gift Might Be The Next CX-30
We know that the images might not have been intended as teasers, but that’s the thing about designers. Even if these were created just as a gift for the PM, they were most likely drawn in the same style the designers had been using in their usual work.
Mazda’s plans for Thailand include the launch of five new models in the next three years, with two BEV models, one PHEV, and two conventional hybrids. The first will be the Mazda6e EV, which is expected to go on sale there by the end of the year as Mazda’s first EV in the country.
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Strangely, it’s the conventional hybrids that will arrive in Thailand last. The second EV is expected in 2026, with a PHEV the same year. The hybrids are expected in 2027 and 2028. Mazda is targeting to build 100,000 vehicles per year in the country, and the mix will include all three of the electrified types.
