A new rumor suggests that the upcoming Mazda CX-5 would go upmarket to compete with Mercedes GLC, Audi Q5, and BMW X3.
Mazda confirmed its intentions to step into the premium segment. To make a push upmarket, it even sacrificed the Mazdaspeed performance line. The first model to receive a premium makeover was the “6”. Now, rumors suggest that the CX-5 would also be completely revamped.
A report from summer 2020 indicated that Mazda would use new inline-six engines in its premium cars. Recent reports have confirmed this selection, pointing out to the CX-5. Reportedly, Mazda’s all-new SUV would now compete with the Mercedes GLC and BMW X3.
We already know that the next-gen Mazda 6 will sit on a rear-wheel-drive platform and use inline-six engines. Thus, it’s only natural that the next-gen CX-5 will use the same platform.
The new inline-6 might have a displacement of 3.0-liter or 3.3-liter, much larger than current engines. Mazda will almost certainly incorporate the SkyActiv-X technology with help from an electric motor. Curiously, the carmaker even plans a diesel version, but most probably not in the US market.
Meanwhile, the SUV’s dimensions should also increase – the current CX-5’s size is a bit smaller than other premium SUVs.
According to the news reports, the Japanese manufacturer is also producing a different version of the CX-5, naming it the CX-50, with a hierarchy similar to the CX-3 and CX-30, which sits between the CX-3 and CX-5.
If the trend continues, the CX-50 would be expected to be a more upmarket version closer to the CX-9. Furthermore, the CX-50 might be more aggressively-styled and have a coupe-like design, competing with the BMW X4.
On paper, the specifications would match those of Mercedes and BMW. But we will have to wait and see how Mazda’s designers make the best of the extra space. A vehicle’s styling is essential in the premium sector, and Mazda’s upmarket shift success will be determined by how its new generation vehicles fair amongst others.
If everything goes as planned, Mazda will reveal the new CX-5 in 2023, with deliveries starting in 2024.
