Since it’s launched in Malaysia earlier in January this year, the 2020 Mazda CX-30 have been outselling the Mazda CX-3 by on average, three times more, even though the latter is cheaper.

The smaller, Mazda 2-based B-segment CX-3 sells for RM 126,829, while the larger C-segment Mazda 3-based CX-30 starts from RM 144,759, topping out at RM 170,459.

Both the CX-3 and CX-30 are powered by the same 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine (1.8-litre turbo diesel is also available for the CX-30), paired to the same 6-speed automatic transmission.

Both are also imported from Japan (CBU).

Compared to the similar B-segment Honda City/Jazz-based Honda HR-V, the Mazda CX-3 is a lot smaller, and its imported from Japan status also bumps up its price by a lot more.

It’s a similar predicament for the CX-30, which is supposed to sit on rung below the (upper) C-segment Mazda CX-5, but since the latter is locally-assembled at Kulim, it benefits from excise tax rebates and is thus priced lower than the CX-30.

Prices for the CX-5 range from RM 132,403 to RM 174,852. All prices mentioned are valid only until 31-December 2020, inclusive of temporary sales tax exemption/discount announced by the government.

CX-30 sells more, despite higher price, but that's not the full story

In the first half of financial year ending April 2021, Bermaz Auto, the parent company of Mazda distributor Bermaz Motor, disclosed that it had sold 767 units of the CX-30, versus 233 units of the CX-3.

Sales cannibalization between the CX-3 and CX-30 is to be expected, as sales of the CX-3 have fallen by almost half when compared to the same 6-month period in the previous financial year.

However, the end result is still a nett positive sales growth for Bermaz as the combined CX-3 and CX-30 sales is 1,000 units, for the first half of financial year ending April 2021. This compares to just 407 units of the CX-3 in the same 6-month period last year.

But it's hard to draw a definite conclusion from these data, because imported CBU cars are always limited by supply, so actual demand could be a lot more. The CX-3 is sold out well before 2020 ended.

Sales of the locally-assembled (CKD) CX-5 saw a 20 percent drop, from 4,061 units in the H1 FY2020 to 3,313 units in H1 FY2021 (which corresponds to calendar year 2020’s month of May-October), but that’s purely due to supply disruption caused by the MCO/CMCO.

We understand that order banks for the CX-5 is full and Bermaz’s allocation of CX-5 models for calendar year 2020 was sold out shortly after the Penjana package sales tax exemption for locally-assembled models was announced in June.