2000 Mazda Millenia Reviews

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.

CarsGuide’s data analytics team has crunched the numbers to find out how well popular mid-sized SUVs hold their value. This insight means you can buy a new car now knowing it’ll likely be a resale winner when the time comes to sell it.

One of Toyota Australia’s top executives has called an end to the dual-cab dominance at the top of the Aussie sales charts.Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide earlier this year a ute was unlikely to be the best seller moving forward.The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux have sat on top of the podium for about a decade, but the influx of new ute models this year will likely close that chapter.“We already know that the number of ute models available to Australian buyers will expand rapidly. They’ll be competing for an overall ute market that is likely to remain steady, which suggests that the average sales per model will come down as a result,” said Hanley.“It may be, and I stress maybe, that an SUV could rise to the top of the national sales charts in the next year or two, and just maybe that SUV will be a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid,” he said.The Toyota RAV4 seems like the obvious candidate for the top spot, after finishing second overall last year and in pole position after one month in 2025.Except, a new challenger is looming, which will pour fuel on an old rivalry.A new CX-5, which might not be called CX-5 but CX-40 instead, is in the works and it will be powered by new hybrid technology developed in-house by Mazda.The CX-5 and the RAV4 have historically gone toe-to-toe for the crown of the most popular SUV for the best part of a decade.Only recently has the RAV4 put several lengths on the CX-5, mainly due to the Mazda’s lack of hybrid power that has become a must-have item in the mid-size family SUV.A recent patent revealed the details of how the CX-5’s new hybrid tech works. No surprise it works a lot like the Toyota tech but with one small difference.What is unique about the Mazda patent is the position of the control module that tells the electric motors what to do. It is situated right on top of the e-motor, meaning no need for heavy cables. It also keeps the set-up nice and compact, which aids in packaging.Mazda has yet to reveal its reworked CX-5, but digital renders have been popping up online with the vehicle keeping its look inline with the brand's range of larger SUVs, such as the Mazda CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.Toyota isn’t taking this challenge lying down, though.The carmaking giant is preparing a new RAV4 that will move the goalposts even further ahead.It will bring new styling that mimics the look of the new Camry and C-HR with its crimped bonnet and Lexus-like lower grille.It is also expected to have hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even full electric options, according to Japanese publication BestCar.The hybrid version is expected to use the same set-up as the new Camry sedan, which means either 168kW in front- or 173kW in all-wheel-drive guise.A plug-in-hybrid version is vital for the brand to navigate Australia’s new emissions regulations, as a standard hybrid won’t meet the CO2 threshold in a few years time.The battery version is expected to take the place of the slow-selling bZ4X, with a RAV4 name expected to bring much more cache to the brand’s mid-size EV.If you are in the market for a hybrid mid-size family SUV, it’s going to be an interesting next 12 months.

When is a Mazda CX-5 not a Mazda CX-5?

There are plenty of reasons for buying brand-new cars. Fiscal acumen is not always one of them, as a second-hand car which has already done the bulk of its depreciating will often be a wiser financial option, but many people aspire to a new car anyway. That’s because there’s that peace of mind that comes with a car that has a factory warranty for several years, not to mention that a second-hand ca

Mazda has vowed to focus on customers, not the incoming government-mandated efficiency standards, but admits it has plans for more hybrids and electric vehicles before the end of the decade.With the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) coming into effect on January 1 of this year, Mazda and other brands are now required to meet an average emissions target for their fleet of models sold in Australia or face financial penalties. However, the car industry has negotiated some leeway, with higher targets for 2025 and ‘26 and fines only applicable from July 1.The introduction of NVES is meant to push car makers to offer more fuel-efficient models to customers but with a clear incentive to offer electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid powertrains.Despite the government’s prerogative for more EVs, Mazda currently has now electric cars in its showrooms and no confirmed plans to re-introduce one in the immediate future. Instead the brand’s local boss, managing director Vinesh Bhindi, says customer preference will come first and the company will worry about complying with the NVES targets after.“ So, this efficiency standard, I suppose you can look at it from a couple of points of view,” Bhindi told CarsGuide. “One point-of-view is, do you comply to a standard? Or alternatively, which is where our position is, provide customers what they want. And that's where we're going to focus.“The compliance of the efficiency standard. Yes, we look at and yes, we map out our pathway on how in the end we have to reduce CO2 or carbon - that's the ultimate objective. Compliance off it is a pathway there. So our focus at this stage is the customer will decide what technology they want. The customer will decide how quickly they would like to move to a different technology and we would like to continue to provide what the customer wants.“Now there is a small but growing customer base as you have seen. It's stagnated a bit on battery EVs but there's a very clear trend on hybridization. We have in our portfolio plug-in hybrids, we have mid-hybrids, the next generation CX-5 will have full hybridization. So our plan is to continue to offer those technologies as the customer says ‘that's where I want to be.’ And we’ll have battery EVs as well, by the way.”While other brands have made a clear and early move towards EVs, the slowing sales growth has seemingly justified Mazda Australia’s position not to dive into that market. Asked if the cooling off of EV interest had justified Mazda’s approach, Bhindi dismissed the notion and pointed out many other brands were driven by EV-centric regulations in Europe and China - two smaller markets for the brand.“You remember some of these brands made decisions based on their home country requirements by regulation, mainly Europe, mainly China, where this technology is a lot more mandated, if I can say those words,” he said. “So they needed that technology for their customers in other regions.“We look at it from an Australian point-of-view. Yes, there's a small percentage of customers who are early adopters of new technology. And yes, we currently don't have an exact offering for them, but it's only a matter of time.”However, that doesn’t mean Mazda intends on ignoring the EV market and there are plans for more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs by the end of the decade — even if Bhindi stopped short of confirming when Australians can expect these models.“ Without naming which models, which cars and exact timing, we will have multiple battery EVs before the end of 2030,” he revealed. “Earlier, but I can't tell you when we'll have next generation CX-5 with hybrid and much more in terms of hybridization and plug-in hybrid technologies between now and the end of the decade.”

Mazda is set to drop its most successful nameplate — the CX-5 — but that won’t stop it taking the fight to the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander in the highly-competitive mid-size SUV market.

Mazda's expansive BT-50 line-up is crowned by the SP. This is the style icon of the line-up, aimed at buyers who want a ute with a sporty, dynamic look.The SP is only available as a 4x4 dual cab pick-up and adds a range of gloss black elements for a unique visual appearance, including 18-inch alloys, sports bar, side steps, fender flares, roof rails, exterior mirror caps and door handles, while also getting a manually-operated roller tonneau cover and black and terracotta synthetic leather and suede seat trim.The SP is only available as a 4x4 pick-up and is exclusively powered by the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. Like the rest of the 3.0-litre 4x4 range fuel economy is rated at 8.0L/100km.Pricing for the SP starts at $71,500, plus on-road costs, but Mazda is offering a big saving at launch by doing a $67,990 drive-away deal.

The Mazda BT-50 GT is sandwiched between the popular XTR and stylish SP in the range.It includes all of the elements of the XTR but adds more, so the list of standard equipment is long. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), side steps, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, navigation, a tub liner and tow bar plus leather seats, electronically adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, remote engine start and front parking sensors.The GT, is only available as a 4x4 pick-up and is exclusively powered by the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. Like the rest of the 3.0-litre 4x4 range fuel economy is rated at 8.0L/100km.The list price for the GT is $63,070 plus on-road costs for the cab chassis or $66,170 for the pick-up, but Mazda is offering the latter at $65,990 drive-away from launch. This puts it into the more premium ute market, up against the likes of the Ford Ranger Sport and Toyota HiLux SR5.

The Mazda BT-50 XTR is the sweet spot in the range, finding a nice balance between price and standard equipment.The XTR is only available with the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic, but has the choice of 4x4 or 4x2. You can also choose between a pick-up or cab chassis. Fuel economy is officially rated at 8.0L/100km on the combined cycle.Standard equipment for the XTR includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), side steps, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, navigation and the pick-up variants get a tub liner and tow bar with receiver, tongue and wiring harness.The BT-50 XTR pick-up 4x4 is $62,490 drive-away at launch, with a usual list price of $62,750, plus on-road costs. The XTR 4x2 starts at $53,790, plus on-roads.