Mazda CX-30 buyers hoping to upgrade to a new generation of the SUV may need the patience of a saint after it was revealed that a new model could be four to five years off. Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro told Japan’s Chugoku Shimbun that the introduction of a new CX-30 had been pushed back to the 2030 Japanese financial year.

The news means the CX-30, which first entered production in 2019, could go for 11 years in a single generation, a lifespan almost twice that of its rivals. Japan’s financial year runs from April 1 to March 31, so if Mazda pushes timing back, that introduction could come as late as the first quarter of 2031.

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After a rush of new model activity starting in 2022 with the CX-60, developed on an all-new platform with a longitudinal engine – unlike every other current Mazda passenger model – the marque followed up with the CX-90 in 2023, the CX-70 and CX-80 in 2024, and a new-generation CX-5 in 2025. Plans for the brand’s remaining models, based on the transverse-engine SkyActiv platform, won’t follow the same rapid-fire release schedule.

While definitive details about the new model weren’t revealed, Moro pointed to the CX-5 as a sign of what’s to come. “We will incorporate the methods used in the new CX-5 into the next-generation CX -30,” he said.

That suggests the new CX-30 may run on a revised version of its existing platform rather than an all-new architecture, as is the case with the CX-5. The new CX-5 was given larger dimensions – crucially including a longer wheelbase to improve passenger space – hinting that the CX-30 could also grow slightly.

By the time the CX-30 arrives, Mazda will have its internally developed SkyActiv-Z hybrid powertrain in production. It’s set to debut on the CX-5 next year, and could become the flagship powertrain for the CX-30 range.

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The next new product to come from Mazda is likely to be a replacement for the CX-3, itself a much older model, having entered production in 2014. Due to launch in 2027, the next CX-3 is set to offer hybrid and conventional ICE powertrains.

Mazda’s long-running model cycles have left it with a range of ageing models, including the Mazda 2 city car, launched in 2014, and the Mazda 3 small car, which debuted in 2019. There are no firm replacement plans for either vehicle.

Sales results from 2025 show the CX-5 is Mazda’s best-seller globally, followed by the CX-30. In Australia, the CX-5 leads the sales tally (12,378 sales YTD), followed by the CX-3 (7729), with the CX-30 in third (7186), based on FCAI VFACTS sales data.