Mazda’s small car range is ageing, with the Mazda 2 light car (2014) and CX-3 light SUV (2015) now a decade old.
With no hybrid or electric power, these two are out-of-sorts with rivals like the Toyota Yaris, and so, after its Large Product offensive, Japanese brand Mazda has shown off the Vision-X Compact concept at the 2025 Tokyo Mobility Show.
Details of this concept are thin on the ground, though we think it previews the design direction of the next generation Mazda 2 and CX-3, possibly to be called the CX-20 and possibly being amalgamated into a single model in production guise.
Even compared to the small cars in Mazda’s range, the Vision-X Compact is tiny. At 3825mm long, 1795mm wide, 1570mm tall and riding on a 2515mm wheelbase, it’s 40cm shorter than CX-3 but very close to the Suzuki Swift hatch in size.
Given the proximity between the CX-3 and CX-30 currently, Mazda may decide to shrink its entry-level ‘CX-20’ SUV offering half a size down, but then this may also be an all-new model, or simply a design study.
Visually, the Vision-X Compact is linked to its peers with an illuminated front grille which hints at heavy electrification. The hatchback shape carries the chunky C-pillar common in the CX-30 and Mazda 3, as well.
Inside is the biggest departure for Mazda, with an airy feel and lots of bright colours bringing an almost Fiat 500-like retro vibe; a visually-light ’P-R-N-D’ gear selector with spherical knob sits on the centre console.
There’s a large diameter, thin-rimmed steering wheel with just a singular, circular digital dial in front of the driver. The wheel features paddle shifters, potentially for gear changing but also adjusting regenerative braking.
This concept is shown in left-hand drive, too, suggesting European micro car aspirations.
And it’s worth noting that there are no dominant touchscreens in the concept. Instead, the car is pictured with a smartphone mounted on the dash — Volkswagen Up!, anyone?
Mazda calls the Vision-X Compact the ‘future of smart mobility’, with onboard artificial intelligence intended to ‘deepen the bond between people and cars through the fusion of a human sensory digital model and empathetic AI.’
As for the powertrain details of a production version, it is unclear for now.
Mazda may leverage its experience with the MX-30 small SUV to provide a host of options for its new light cars, including pure battery EV for Europe, series-parallel hybrids and in-house rotary range extender.