Photo: Kolesa.ru
Let's be honest, compact crossovers look really cool right now, but they don't drive as well as the hatchbacks and sedans they replaced. Not the Mazda CX-5, which appears to be the go-to Japanese mini-SUV for driving fun.
The first CX-5 came out in 2012 and it was a revolution. The new Mazda design language was brilliant, and because of sports suspension, it cornered well. Sure, it also had a few issues, like an unnatural ability to crack windshields, but it wasn't what you'd call unreliable either.
For an encore, Mazda released an all-new model in 2017. It may have been based on the previous generation, but an extra layer of refinement was added. The interior became on par with some premium rivals, while the ride improved. Some say the engines feel slightly less responsive, though you can't complain when they added the turbocharged version into the lineup.
But that makes us a little worried about the new generation. Because the 3rd of anything is usually not good - Hangover, Men in Black, Cars, Matrix, Iron Man, Star Wars, etc. I bet you can't even remember the third movie in some of those franchises.
Earlier this month, the next-gen CX-5 was spotted undergoing testing. And the Russian magazine Kolesa took it upon itself to strip back the camouflage and reveal what the vehicle could look like. It's an evolution of the current design that somehow seems less emotional.
We're not actually questioning their work here. This rendering lines up perfectly with the styling of the MX-30. It's got a wide grille and black cladding that goes higher up the body. Squint and you could mistake this for a Toyota Venza. Vague, vanilla styling could still hide a competent crossover with great technology. Mazda hasn't discussed the future of this model, but rumors have been rampant.
The Mazda6 sedan just got discontinued, and a new one is supposed to ride on a new RWD platform together with the next-gen CX-5. Other reports say the name will be changed to CX-50, like with the smaller models. It's also possible that we'll have two different vehicles sharing this name, one car-like and the other a premium SUV.
That's what we think, the SUV that was seen testing is the 3rd-gen based on the old architecture and it's affordable. Meanwhile, the premium model will need to be shown as a concept first and then begin testing.
For an encore, Mazda released an all-new model in 2017. It may have been based on the previous generation, but an extra layer of refinement was added. The interior became on par with some premium rivals, while the ride improved. Some say the engines feel slightly less responsive, though you can't complain when they added the turbocharged version into the lineup.
But that makes us a little worried about the new generation. Because the 3rd of anything is usually not good - Hangover, Men in Black, Cars, Matrix, Iron Man, Star Wars, etc. I bet you can't even remember the third movie in some of those franchises.
Earlier this month, the next-gen CX-5 was spotted undergoing testing. And the Russian magazine Kolesa took it upon itself to strip back the camouflage and reveal what the vehicle could look like. It's an evolution of the current design that somehow seems less emotional.
We're not actually questioning their work here. This rendering lines up perfectly with the styling of the MX-30. It's got a wide grille and black cladding that goes higher up the body. Squint and you could mistake this for a Toyota Venza. Vague, vanilla styling could still hide a competent crossover with great technology. Mazda hasn't discussed the future of this model, but rumors have been rampant.
The Mazda6 sedan just got discontinued, and a new one is supposed to ride on a new RWD platform together with the next-gen CX-5. Other reports say the name will be changed to CX-50, like with the smaller models. It's also possible that we'll have two different vehicles sharing this name, one car-like and the other a premium SUV.
That's what we think, the SUV that was seen testing is the 3rd-gen based on the old architecture and it's affordable. Meanwhile, the premium model will need to be shown as a concept first and then begin testing.
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