Mazda to begin producing CX-30 in Thailand, arriving in PH soon?

An all-new crossover from Mazda could soon be heading to the Philippines it seems. Remember when the automaker premiered the all-new CX-30 at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show last March? Slotting between the smaller CX-3 and the slightly bigger CX-5, the sporty crossover bridges the gap between the two models.

According to reliable sources, the AutoAlliance factory in Rayong, Thailand will begin producing the CX-30 for export markets in November 2019. Could this mean that the Philippine market is set to receive the CX-30 soon?

While almost all of Mazda Philippines' vehicles in the country come from Japan (Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-5, CX-3, CX-9 and the MX-5), the company does source the Mazda2 and the BT-50 from Thailand. Should the new crossover be offered locally in the near future, it would make sense for the automaker to actually source the CX-30 from Thailand as it is nearer and will carry less duties and taxes.

But will the new crossover be offered in the country? There is a bit of a hint if you head on to Mazda Philippines' website. The CX-3 no longer listed on the site, and the CX-30 might just be its replacement. But with Mazda Thailand set to begin selling the CX-30 around next year, it might actually take a while before the Philippines gets the CX-30. For now, Mazda continues to produce and sell the current CX-3 for the Thai market.

In review, the CX-30 is based off the all-new Mazda3 platform and serves as the latest compact crossover in the range. It's powered by either a 2.0-liter or 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G inline-four that can be mated to a six-speed manual / automatic transmission. There's also an optional 1.8-liter SkyActiv-D turbo-diesel which is also seeing use in the CX-3. Front-wheel drive comes as standard although higher grade models of the CX-30 can come with the optional i-Activ four-wheel drive.