MAZDA JOINS BABY CROSSOVER FRAY WITH AN ALL-NEW MODEL THAT WILL SHOWCASE NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE NEXT-GENERATION 3.
- What's so cool about baby crossovers?
Allow us to give you a little history. Ever since SUVs became popular in the '90s, people have loved them for their macho appearance, high-riding bodies and commanding driving position.
However, buyers rarely ventured off-road _ as how these vehicles were conceptualised _ so makers made them more car-like in appearance and driving manners (lower and sleeker bodies). That explains the exodus of the Honda CR-V and its likes.
Today in Europe, SUVs are also condemned for their gas-guzzling nature (they're usually heavier than saloons and hatchbacks), so makers are appeasing the anti-green movement by coming out with smaller SUVs.
the Minagi previews baby crossovers and is the first to get a new design language.
- So they're for people who want something smaller than a CR-V, right?
Right, or you could even say that baby crossovers are for people who usually drive around the city, yet want the attributes of style and a high driving position not found in conventional cars.
Since the start of this year a number of car makers have revealed concepts pointing to new baby crossovers including those from Hyundai, Renault and Seat.
And the one that's most likely to be made the way it was shown is the Minagi from Mazda featured here this week, although sources confirmed that the name in showrooms will be CX-5.
a driver-oriented fascia is set to become the new norm for Mazda.
- Will it come to Thailand?
Now, that's a little bit tricky. If Mazda wants the CX-5 to sell in Thailand with prices below the CR-V _ say, in the 850,000-900,000-baht range _ then it has got to assemble in the country.
And whether that's going to happen in the near future is unlikely. A model line-up is usually only profitable if a maker doesn't start from the bottom.
That's why you see Honda or Toyota building the Civic and Corolla first before moving down to the smaller margin City and Vios. The same goes for Ford and Mazda that made the Fiesta and 2 after the Focus and 3.
So if Mazda really wants to make some money with Thai-made crossovers, it may have to start selling the CX-7 first (see sidebar) which they haven't yet.
- Shucks! I'm really in the market for such a vehicle ...
Part of the reason is that Thailand has yet to solidify its position as a passenger car hub (although Toyota is now in the process of doing that). Also, the European and Japanese markets are usually a step ahead of emerging markets when it comes to getting new innovations.
But don't despair yet, my friend. There's still an ongoing rumour that Nissan will build the flashy-looking Juke in Asean, even though they have yet to start selling the larger Qashqai (yet smaller than the X-Trail, which rivals the CR-V).
It's likely that the CX-5 will size up with the Qashqai, and not the Juke. One can only hope that Mazda will speed up its Thai model diversification now that B- and C-segment saloons and hatchbacks are already in place.
- Tell me, will the CX-5 have any implications on the all-new 3?
Very likely, and it probably will preview the new tech for the third-generation 3 (the one that will be launched in Thailand next week is still the second-gen model) due to hit world markets in less than three years.
When the CX-5 hits showrooms in Europe and Japan next year, it will have new petrol and diesel engines with new fuel-saving technologies from the Skyactiv engineering package.
Since the smallest engine in today's CX-7 is a 2.3-litre petrol head, the CX-5 is well-placed to receive all-new blocks with direct-injection ranging from 1.6 to 2.0 litres, as well as new automatic transmissions.
That's why next week's launch of the 3 will see the same old engines. It may have just been launched in Thailand. But elsewhere, the 3 is just about 2-3 years from retirement.
And if you look at the Minagi in detail, it has several new design cues that could make it to the 3 Mk3 such as the new front end (inspired by the Shinari concept) and prominent driver-oriented fascia.
The CX family
CX-9
The boss of Mazda's crossovers, the CX-9 has been designed primarily for the North American market explaining its gas-guzzling 273hp 3.7-litre V6 engine sourced from Ford. It is imported from Japan in small numbers at 3.69 million baht, thanks to the Thai-Japanese FTA that allows a 20% reduction on import duty for vehicles with engines more than 3,000cc. It aims to steal sales from the Volvo XC90 and its likes.
CX-7
Dubbed the mid-sized crossover with a sporty 244hp 2.3-litre inline-four petrol-turbo engine, the CX-7 has not been considered for official Thai sales since its price will be very close to the seven-seat CX-9. Thus, the grey market has taken some interest with the five-seat CX-7 at some 3-3.5 million baht. Next-gen model could be assembled in Thailand with a less powerful engine to rival the Honda CR-V.
CX-5
Although the badge isn't officially confirmed yet, sources say it is. The CX-5 will be slightly smaller than the CX-7 in size and be targeted at CR-V buyers needing a more compact package for urban use (read: Nissan Qashqai/Dualis/Rogue sold in Europe/Japan/US). Although the CX-5 makes great sense on Thai roads, its comparatively smaller margins would make the Thai Mazda office turn to official sales of the CX-7 first.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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