Mazda Australia has avoided a disaster, confirming the next-generation CX-5 will remain a CX-5. After more than a year of speculation, and a telling lack of confirmation, the brand has locked in the existing badge for its upcoming new model.
The lack of a name change is big news, as it avoids a potential sales disaster like Nissan suffered when it dropped the Pulsar name in favour of Tiida or when Holden called the imported Opel Insignia a Commodore. Mazda Australia Managing Director Vinesh Bhindi confirmed to Torquecafe that the new SUV will be called CX-5 and will remain in the heart of the mid-size SUV market, ruling out any chance it would follow the ‘premium’ push of the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.
“ CX-5 will compete in the current, medium SUV price zone in the marketplace,” Bhindi said.
READ MORE: We drive the updated Mazda CX-60 – has the brand corrected its rare mistake?
But aside from the name and the rough price point, Bhindi was keeping his CX-5 cards close to his chest. He wouldn’t even confirm if the new model will be revealed in 2025, let alone make showrooms this year.
“We’ll showcase the car soon,” he said.
Pushed further on price, Bhindi admitted that the incoming new CX-5 would remain in roughly the same price bracket as the current model, between $36,590 and $55,000, although inflation is likely to drive that slightly higher.
What will also drive prices higher is a new hybrid powertrain for the CX-5, which will give it a better chance of competing against the Toyota RAV4, which is enjoying record sales of its hybrid variants.
At the same time, Mazda is looking to make its more premium CX-60 range more affordable, by introducing a new non-hybrid 2.5-litre petrol version of the SUV in the second half of 2025. It will expand the line-up, and take the CX-60 range below a $50,000 starting price. According to Bhindi, this will make the style and new driving experience of the CX-60 available to buyers who don’t want either the 2.5-litre hybrid or 3.3-litre six-cylinder mild-hybrid options currently available.
“ Where we’ve identified the opportunity is there are some customers who are not prepared to jump into electrified powertrains today,” he said. “They haven’t found their comfort or their household budgets can’t meet it. But they love the updates or the interior fit and finish, the materials, the design. And what our thinking is, the 2.5 will give them that opportunity in the 60 to have the latest and the greatest in terms of Kodo design, bodystyle, it’ll have the latest and the greatest Mazda version of Kodo design on the interior. But they’re happy to wait till electrification matures a little bit. Or comes within their reach, their price range.”
Discussion about this post