The automaker introduced the turbo motor into its bestselling CX-5 compact crossover for the 2019 model year and will offer a turbocharged version of its new CX-30 crossover this year alongside the boosted Mazda3.
While Mazda is continuing its march upmarket with more powerful motors and more luxurious trims, it’s also bolstering the lower end of its lineup. New for 2021, the Mazda3 comes in a revised base model with a smaller engine and reduced price.
The Mazda3 2.0 sedan with a 2.0-liter engine and 155 hp goes for $1,000 less than the previous base model with a nonturbo 2.5-liter engine and 186 hp. That means the Mazda3 lineup now runs from $21,445 with shipping to $38,040 with every factory option on the pricier hatchback body style, including shipping. The new turbo trim starts at $30,845 with shipping.
“As we continue to move upmarket with our vehicles, we’re also balancing that by still offering vehicles that keep our current owners with the brand,” said Drew Cary, Mazda’s senior manager of communications. “We’re not trying to flip a switch and move into a whole different segment and price out many people who have been with the brand for a long time.”
The CX-30, a subcompact crossover that launched early this year, has outsold the Mazda3 as consumers move toward crossovers. Mazda is hoping the lower price of its base sedan will help with sales.
A 2.0-liter version of the CX-30 is not planned for the 2021 model year, Cary said. The CX-30 with its base 2.5-liter engine starts at $23,000 with shipping. Unlike the Mazda3, the CX-30 has a smaller, more inexpensive vehicle below it, the CX-3 crossover, which uses a version of the 2.0-liter motor.
Mazda has been one of the most successful automakers in the U.S. this year in terms of sales, thanks in great part to the CX-30, which shares a platform with the Mazda3. Brand sales through October were down just 0.7 percent compared with the same period last year at 226,016. Mazda gained 0.3 points of market share, second to only Tesla, according to Automotive News Data Center estimates.
Jeffrey Guyton, who took over as president of Mazda North American Operations in April 2019, has said offering a broad range of powertrains is part of a strategy to grow sales volume. Eventually, electrification will be part of its portfolio. Currently, Mazda offers only gasoline-powered engines and no hybrids in the U.S.
