The next-gen Mazda CX-5 is coming up on the horizon and in a new development, the Yokohama-based automaker will continue selling the model side-by-side with its other compact crossover, the CX-50. Speaking directly with U.S. News And World Report, Mazda’s North American CEO, Tom Donnell, confirmed the CX-5’s arrival and positioning in the range.
When Mazda revealed the sleeker and more upscale CX-50 in 2022, many thought it was the long-awaited replacement for the CX-5. However, Mazda said it had no plans to discontinue the CX-5 in favor of the CX-50, for several reasons. The CX-5 remains the company’s top-seller and is a major revenue generator, and with the company treading very carefully on how to strategize its near-future lineup, it needed to keep the CX-5 around for financial reasons. Additionally, Mazda said the CX-50 is a more premium alternative to the CX-5, so there’s space in the lineup for both models.
The New Third-Gen CX-5 Will Be A Hybrid
As previously reported, the new third-generation CX-5 will get the company’s latest and greatest hybrid powertrain. Mazda announced its gas-electric propulsion a few months ago during the company’s investor meeting. Donnell’s latest interview confirms its arrival as such. Although details are sparse, speculation suggests the hybrid CX-5 will get a four-cylinder-based hybrid powertrain, similar to the one found in the CX-50.
Despite the CX-50’s existence in gas and hybrid form, both the CX-50 and CX-5 will be sold next to and complement each other in Mazda’s range of crossover SUVs.
“Yes,” Donnell told U.S. News, when asked about the CX-5 and CX-50 coexisting in Mazda’s lineup. “We did over 100,000 units on CX-5 last year, and it just keeps on keepin’ on. And as you know, we’re launching a new one soon. We expect that momentum will continue. This is the largest segment in the market, and some other brands also have multiple entries, and if you compare the CX-5 and CX-50 directly, they look different and have different intentionalities. We view the CX-5 as more urban and sophisticated, whereas CX-50 – because of the styling, some of the characteristics and whether it’s a Meridian edition – has more of an outdoorsy feel.”
“That’s how we tried to market that vehicle, and, largely, that’s the customer that we’re attracting,” Donnell continued. “Again, we’re doing a couple hundred thousand in that segment, and it’s likely to continue to be the largest class in the industry from every projection that we’ve seen. So, we see space for both to succeed.”
The current, second-generation CX-5 debuted in 2016 as a 2017 model-year car, making it about eight years old and well overdue for replacement. It’s currently powered by the choice of two gasoline 2.5-liter Skyactive-G four-cylinders, in base naturally-aspirated form with an optional turbocharged upgrade.
The CX-60 is also powered by the same engines. Though, unlike the CX-5, the CX-50 also comes with a hybrid system taken from Toyota’s parts bins. There is a plug-in hybrid variant, but it’s not currently sold in the United States.
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