Photo: Mazda / edited by autoevolution
Previewed by the MINAGI concept at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the CX-5 is Mazda’s first series-production model to receive the Kodo design language and Skyactiv technologies. In production since 2012, the compact sport utility vehicle may be discontinued in a few short years.
Slowly but steadily, the CX-5 made a name for itself in the hotly contested compact segment. Last year, Mazda delivered no fewer than 1,116,107 examples worldwide, of which the United States market accounted for a third.
I first got behind the wheel of a CX-5 a decade ago, and the verdict was pretty favorable. Despite a few hard plastics and some wind noise at high speeds, the first-generation Mazda CX-5 punched above its weight. I’ve also tested the facelift, and the second generation that launched in late 2016 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. All three CX-5s left me with a very good impression about them, although my opinion did change in the meantime.
To put it bluntly, Mazda’s best-selling model has lost its shine. It’s too old to hit as hard as it did back in 2012. While Mazda keeps making small updates year over year, but they're not good enough. The in-segment competition has much newer designs with better technologies that render the CX-5 old. More than 11 years old, that is…
Despite selling like hotcakes, the days of the CX-5 are numbered, according to Mitsuru Wakiie. This kind gentleman isn’t sure whether the company he’s currently working for is going to introduce a completely new CX-5 or not. Speaking to CarExpert, the program manager of the CX-5 didn’t elaborate, which raises a question.
Will there be another CX-5? One featuring brand-new underpinnings, revised oily bits, and nicer interior trim? At press time, only Wakiie-san and the most senior of suits in Hiroshima know for certain. The platform of the CX-5 still has a few years left in it, more so if you remember that it’s used by other models. Think CX-8, CX-9, and Mazda6.
But alas, the CX-8, CX-9, and Mazda6 show their age. The CX-5 also shows its age, although it keeps chugging along thanks to good sales figures. The Japanese automaker is currently asking $26,700 excluding destination charge for the base specification, which comes with an automatic and all-wheel drive as standard.
No fewer than eight trim levels are listed on Mazda’s website, starting with the 2.5 S. It cranks out 187 horsepower. At the other end of the spectrum, the 2.5 Turbo Signature features all the bells and whistles. Its turbocharged 2.5-liter engine produces 256 horsepower.
Facelifted in 2021 for 2022, the CX-5 was last updated for 2023 with a new exterior color. That shows how little is left to update on the CX-5, and program manager Mitsuru Wakiie knows it all too well.
I first got behind the wheel of a CX-5 a decade ago, and the verdict was pretty favorable. Despite a few hard plastics and some wind noise at high speeds, the first-generation Mazda CX-5 punched above its weight. I’ve also tested the facelift, and the second generation that launched in late 2016 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. All three CX-5s left me with a very good impression about them, although my opinion did change in the meantime.
To put it bluntly, Mazda’s best-selling model has lost its shine. It’s too old to hit as hard as it did back in 2012. While Mazda keeps making small updates year over year, but they're not good enough. The in-segment competition has much newer designs with better technologies that render the CX-5 old. More than 11 years old, that is…
Despite selling like hotcakes, the days of the CX-5 are numbered, according to Mitsuru Wakiie. This kind gentleman isn’t sure whether the company he’s currently working for is going to introduce a completely new CX-5 or not. Speaking to CarExpert, the program manager of the CX-5 didn’t elaborate, which raises a question.
Will there be another CX-5? One featuring brand-new underpinnings, revised oily bits, and nicer interior trim? At press time, only Wakiie-san and the most senior of suits in Hiroshima know for certain. The platform of the CX-5 still has a few years left in it, more so if you remember that it’s used by other models. Think CX-8, CX-9, and Mazda6.
But alas, the CX-8, CX-9, and Mazda6 show their age. The CX-5 also shows its age, although it keeps chugging along thanks to good sales figures. The Japanese automaker is currently asking $26,700 excluding destination charge for the base specification, which comes with an automatic and all-wheel drive as standard.
No fewer than eight trim levels are listed on Mazda’s website, starting with the 2.5 S. It cranks out 187 horsepower. At the other end of the spectrum, the 2.5 Turbo Signature features all the bells and whistles. Its turbocharged 2.5-liter engine produces 256 horsepower.
Facelifted in 2021 for 2022, the CX-5 was last updated for 2023 with a new exterior color. That shows how little is left to update on the CX-5, and program manager Mitsuru Wakiie knows it all too well.
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