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CX-3 Navigation SD Card

Every 2016–2021 CX-3 runs Gen 6 Mazda Connect, so the nav SD card behaves exactly like every other Gen 6 Mazda: same card, same VIN-locking, same map-update channels. The platform reference covers all of that in detail at Navigation SD cards and map updates. This page covers only what’s specific to the CX-3.

The slot is in the center console, just ahead of the shifter

Section titled “The slot is in the center console, just ahead of the shifter”

The slot sits in the center console just ahead of the shifter, grouped with the USB and AUX ports, behind a small plastic cover. Flip the cover open and the card pushes in until it clicks (push-push spring; press again to eject). It takes a full-size SD card. The spot is low and shadowed, so owners hunting for it often miss the cover entirely; the audio section of your model-year owner’s manual has the exact diagram.

There is no slot behind the screen and nothing in the glovebox. If you bought a used CX-3 and can’t find a card, check that console cubby first, then the glovebox and manual wallet, where dealers sometimes leave the card in its retail packaging.

Only the Grand Touring shipped with the card

Section titled “Only the Grand Touring shipped with the card”
Model yearTrimFactory navigation
2016–2019Grand TouringYes, standard
2016–2019Sport, TouringNo card; slot present
2020–2021Sport (only trim offered)No card; slot present

The slot is hardware on every CMU, regardless of trim. Navigation is unlocked by a valid VIN-paired card, not by a different head unit, which is why Mazda sold the nav card as a genuine dealer accessory for Sport and Touring cars. Drop in a genuine card and a non-nav CX-3 gains full navigation. The rest of the Gen 6 lineup, the CX-5 included, works the same way.

The 2020–2021 trim cull (Sport only, ahead of the CX-30) means no late CX-3 shipped with a card. The accessory card still works on those years.

One card covers the whole Gen 6 lineup: BHP1-66-EZ1 + revision letter

Section titled “One card covers the whole Gen 6 lineup: BHP1-66-EZ1 + revision letter”

The North American Gen 6 card is BHP1-66-EZ1 with a trailing revision letter that advances with the map year: BHP1-66-EZ1N was a long-running revision, with later map years carrying later letters. Mazda’s parts site lists it under the CX-3, but it’s the same card across the whole Gen 6 lineup (CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5), because the lineup shares one CMU and one North American map database. Other regions use different part numbers; a dealer can pull the current one by VIN.

The card is 8 or 16 GB, custom-formatted, and will not mount as FAT32 on a computer. A blank SD card loaded with copied map files will not work.

Clone and used-card warnings

Section titled “Clone and used-card warnings”

The card pairs to the vehicle after roughly 100 km of driving. Three consequences:

  • A used card from another car won’t work unless a dealer re-codes it. The eBay listing that says “tested working” was tested in the seller’s car.
  • A sector-by-sector clone of your own card is a valid backup in the same car. Make one while the original is healthy.
  • Counterfeits are everywhere at $20–50 against the genuine card’s roughly $400 MSRP (less from online Mazda parts counters). Some work, many fail early, and a corrupt card can crash the nav app. The platform page has the genuine-vs-fake tells.

A CX-3-specific symptom worth knowing: owners report navigation reboots in cold weather, and the usual culprit is a failing SD card rather than the head unit. Try a known-good card before blaming the CMU.

Updates through Mazda Toolbox

Section titled “Updates through Mazda Toolbox”

New cards include three years of free map updates through the Mazda Toolbox desktop app (mazda.welcome.naviextras.com); after that, updates are paid, roughly $85–140 per region. Updates are region-locked to the card’s original region. The Toolbox writes to the card over a card reader on your computer; nothing touches the car.

Pull the nav card before any firmware update. A flash with the card inserted can corrupt it; the sequence and recovery steps are on the firmware update procedure page.

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