Mazda Australia drops CX-8 and MX-30 from local line-up

Mazda Australia has announced the CX-8 family SUV and the MX-30 small SUV will depart its local model range next year, due to production of the two models ending overseas.

In a media statement, Mazda’s local division said ‘Australia-bound production’ for the CX-8 and MX-30 is due to cease shortly, as the Japanese car-maker focuses its resources on achieving its goal of only building electrified vehicles by 2030.

The two SUVs are due to remain on sale in Australia throughout the first quarter of 2024 (January to March) – or when supply runs out.

The CX-8’s axing will follow the impending Australian departure of its CX-9 twin-under-the-skin – which was confirmed to be dropped before the end of 2023 in March – and the discontinuation of both models in Japan, owing to their respective CX-80 and CX-90 replacements. 

Without the CX-8 and CX-9, Mazda will no longer offer a sub-$70,000 seven-seat SUV in Australia – as the CX-90 becomes its sole three-row model, with prices starting from $74,400 plus on-road costs.

Sales of the CX-8 have lagged behind the CX-9, with Mazda reporting 5932 and 6460 examples of the respective models sold in 2022 – considerably less than its best-selling CX-5 (27,062 sales).

Meanwhile, the Mazda MX-30’s departure follows two-and-a-half years of low sales for the small SUV, of which just 2232 examples have been sold since it arrived in mid-2021 – becoming the company’s second-lowest selling model, behind the MX-5 sports car.

For context, the more conventional Mazda CX-30 – which is based on the same underpinnings as the MX-30 – has recorded 13,891 sales between January and the end of September 2023 alone, making it the brand’s second-most popular model behind the CX-5.

While the entry-level Mazda CX-30 is priced from $30,610 plus on-road costs (or an extra $1000 for the automatic transmission-equipped version), the least-expensive MX-30 is priced from $36,610 plus on-road costs.

The MX-30’s departure means Mazda will no longer offer an electric car in Australia, though the Japanese car-maker has recently said it plans to launch a new battery-powered model in 2025.

As reported last week, the CEO of Mazda’s North American division, Tom Donnelly, told industry website Automotive News the new electric model will wear a badge from the current line-up – with speculation suggesting it could adopt the popular CX-5 nameplate.