Mazda has finally begun spilling on its incoming CX-5 Hybrid, revealing what it will be called, when it will be unveiled, and where it will be positioned in the lineup.
And it's all good news for Australian buyers, with the brand locking in the CX-5 nameplate, and confirming it won't follow the the rest of the SUV range upmarket, suggesting it will remain an affordable, mainstream player that resists Mazda's premium push.
Perhaps most excitingly, the new model – and it's new in-house hybrid powertrain – will be unveiled within months, suggesting a late 2025 or early 2026 launch is a definite possibility.
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The news all comes from Mazda's North American CEO Tom Donnelly, who told US News the model would continue to be sold alongside the CX-50 in the US market, suggesting it would slot below the more premium model.
"We did over 100,000 units on CX-5 last year, and it just keeps on keeping 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," he told the publication.
"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.
"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.”
It's about the first time any Mazda executive has locked in the name CX-5 for the new model, but Mr Donnelly wasn't done there, going on to confirm that the vehicle's debut was mere months away.
"I can’t give you exact specifics on it, but in the next few months, you’ll see the global debut of our next-generation CX-5, and (the new hybrid tech) will debut in that vehicle,” he said.
The news matches what we've heard from Mazda in Australia, who themselves have promised the new model will remain attainable in our market.
Having already confirmed the CX-5 will feature a game-changing in-house hybrid powertrain that will push the model closer to the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid than ever before, Australia CEO, Vinesh Bhindi, has also confirmed that its most popular SUV will remain within reach of mainstream buyers.
Asked whether the brand is committed to the new CX-5 remaining an accessible product that will sit below the CX-5, Mr Bhindi told us: "Absolutely", which suggests it would have to slot below the new CX-60 Pure, which would likely mean a price in the $40-$50k bracket.
But the Australian executive isn't yet willing to lock in the model's name in Australia, recently telling CarsGuide the CX-5 moniker wasn't yet locked in for our market.
“I say that [CX-5] because if you look at our naming convention, we've moved to double digits in the more recent ones,” Bhindi said. “And I used to get asked this question all the time, ‘what's it going to be called?’ So it was my commentary to say, we'll decide what it's going to be called, whether it's CX-5 or something else. But for now, I think let's just call it CX-5. But don't take that as I'm announcing that as the name. What I really should be saying is that CX-5 segment competitor, that size car, there'll be a new generation.”
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