Mazda Readies Compact Crossover

Mazda Motor Corp. will take wraps off a compact crossover vehicle at next month’s Geneva auto show.

Media reports speculate that the vehicle could be an updated CX-3 or a European variant of the CX-4 model sold in China. The next-generation CX-3 is expected to move from its current Mazda2 architecture to the larger Mazda3 platform.

Mazda says the new crossover will feature the company’s latest Kodo design language that debuts this year on the redesigned Mazda3 sedan and hatchback. A teaser image of the vehicle’s rear end shows a sporty roofline and high-mounted taillights.

Engine options will include Mazda’s new Skyactiv-X system that features homogeneous-charge-compression-ignition technology. Combining aspects of gasoline and diesel engines, HCCI is as much as 30% more efficient than conventional gasoline engines.