Mazdas chunky looking, medium height CX-50 Crossover, which will soon offer a hybrid powertrain, has been ruled out for Australia.
The CX-50 is similar in size to the current CX-5, which went into production back in 2016, and rolled off the US production line in 2022. It is now also produced in China by the Changan Mazda joint venture.
Although it occupies the same segment as the CX-5, Mazda continues to sell both vehicles simultaneously in markets such as North America and China.
Asked whether the CX-50 will replace the CX-5 in Australia, Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak replied: “No.”
“Mazda Corporation senior management have confirmed that a new generation CX-5 is in development and this will obviously be coming to Australia,” he said.
Mr. Doak also ruled out the introduction of the CX-50 as a complementary model for our market, a strategy that has already been followed with the CX-8 and CX-9 and will soon be implemented with the two models CX-60 and CX-70. Series and CX-80 and CX-90 three-row SUVs.
“CX-50, we’ve obviously expressed interest in it, but it’s not available to us. “It is built in Huntsville, Alabama, and is left-hand drive only,” he said.
“It’s not available to us. If so, would we be interested? Absolutely. But we have not yet done a formal, in-depth study of the potential of this car other than we assume it would perform at a high level, but it is not available to us.”
The CX-50 is 4719 mm long, 1920 mm wide and 1623 mm high with a wheelbase of 2814 mm.
This makes it 144 mm longer, 75 mm wider, but 52 mm lower than the CX-5, with a 114 mm longer wheelbase.
In addition to its longer, lower and wider proportions, it features bulging fenders that create a more muscular look than the CX-5.
Like the CX-5, it is offered with a choice of naturally aspirated or turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines.
But while the CX-5 doesn’t have a hybrid option to fend off electrified rivals from Toyota and Nissan, the CX-50 was recently introduced with a hybrid powertrain – from Toyota, no less.
Available with either front- or all-wheel drive, the CX-50 Hybrid features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with one or two electric drive motors and an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).
On its own, the petrol engine produces the same 131kW (5700rpm) and 221Nm (3600-5200) as the engine in the RAV4 Hybrid, and the electric motor has the same outputs of 88kW/202Nm.
AWD versions deliver a lower output of 40kW/121Nm to the rear axle, again in line with the RAV4 AWD Hybrid’s specifications. According to Chinese approval tests, the claimed fuel consumption is between 5.1 and 5.6 l/100 km.
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