Mazda's next-generation CX-5 will graduate from premium to luxury to bolster the firm's upmarket push, according to a recent report. It will again take the form of a crossover, but it might spawn a fastback-like model.

Japanese magazine Best Car learned from company insiders that the next CX-5 will be comparable to the BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC. If that's accurate, the people-mover will receive substantial upgrades in the coming years, because the current model is not as big, not as luxurious, and not as quick as either of those SUVs.

According to the same source, the CX-5's transformation will be made possible by two key elements. First, it will ride on a new rear-wheel-drive platform that it will share with the next Mazda6, though all-wheel-drive will also be offered. Using this architecture will allow stylists to increase the dash-to-axle ratio, which will in turn expand its footprint. Second, the space between the extra sheetmetal will be occupied by a new straight-six engine whose existence has already been confirmed by Mazda. It will get SkyActiv-X technology, and it will be available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Elsewhere in the world, Mazda will release a turbodiesel variant of the six-cylinder.

Adopting rear-wheel drive and a straight-six engine will put the CX-5 in the same league as the Germans; on paper, at least. Mazda will undoubtedly ask its stylists to give the model a suitably stylish appearance, and Best Car added the range could include a new four-door fastback possibly called CX-50 and aimed at the X6.

Mazda's next CX-5 is expected to make its debut in 2023, so it might not arrive on our shores until the 2024 model year. We'll see the next Mazda6 a little sooner, and it will give us a good idea of what's next.

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.

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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.

In production since 2012 for the 2013 model year, the CX-5 is the best-selling Mazda in the world. Continuously redesigned over the years, the compact utility vehicle can’t hide its age in areas that include the SkyActiv powertrains and the slow automatic tranny with six ratios.
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Back in March 2019, the Japanese automaker offered the first glimpse into the rear- and all-wheel-drive Large Architecture as well as brand-new SkyActiv engines with six cylinders arranged in a line. The straight-six mills were reconfirmed by a patent from 2020 along with a new transmission in the form of a torque-converter box with eight forward ratios.

Marketing and product director Alastair Doak hinted that the Large Architecture and the remainder of the hardware mentioned in the previous paragraph will be utilized in a sport utility vehicle. Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi added that “the straight-six engine family will power our new large-platform products, which are CX-5 and above.”

Expected to arrive in 2022 for the 2023 model year, the replacement of the CX-5 may adopt the CX-50 nameplate according to a handful of reports from Japan. Doak told our friends at Car Sales that the six-cylinder engine family includes both gasoline and diesel units, and both fuel options will integrate mild-hybrid technology in the guise of a 48-volt electrical system.

“[The MHEV setup] will produce a bit of power and torque to assist the engine,” but Doak didn’t mention if we’re also dealing with an auxiliary electrical compressor to assist the conventional turbo (or turbochargers).

The Aussie publication says that big sixes and rear-/all-wheel drive will make the upcoming CX-5 unique in the class, and I personally agree with them. BMW has the straight-six X3, but we shouldn’t forget that the Bavarian is longer than the CX-5 and plays at a different price point as well.

Introduced in 2012 and redesigned in 2016, the CX-5 gets yet another nip-and-tuck job to keep it relevant in the overcrowded compact utility vehicle segment. As far as the U.S. market is concerned, the biggest change for the 2022 model year is the i-Activ AWD system, which is standard issue now.
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I have a theory as to why front-wheel drive isn’t available for the 2022 model year. Considering that Mazda is developing the next-generation crossover on a rear-/all-wheel-drive platform known as the Large Architecture, the pricing difference may be a little easier to digest this way.

i-Activ AWD continuously monitors the weight transfer based on cornering forces and acceleration forces. When the situation calls for it, Mazda’s proprietary all-wheel-drive system shifts torque to the appropriate wheels just like any other all-driven system in this particular segment of vehicles.

It’s also worth noting that many customers opt for the i-Activ system because that’s what you want in a crossover and because AWD makes a difference in the corners and soft-road situations in a vehicle with a high center of gravity. From the standpoint of exterior styling, “refined” would be the best word to describe the CX-5 in the photo gallery. The horizontally-spaced rectangular lights, three-dimensional texture of the front grille, aluminum wheels and signature wing pretty much sum up the makeover.

Previously known as the Grand Touring Reserve, the 2.5 Turbo stands out from the rest of the lineup with sport-minded touches. Gloss-black finishes open the list of visual enhancements, along with red accents and red stitching. The 2.5 Turbo Signature levels up to body-color cladding, silver-finished wheels, Nappa leather upholstery and genuine woodgrain.

Mazda has further improved the CX-5 crossover with Mazda Intelligent Drive Select. To whom it may concern, Mi-Drive is exactly what you think it is: a switch that enables the driver to select a drive mode. Suspension updates, better NVH, increased frame rigidity, and a more responsive six-speed automatic transmission round off the list of 2022 model year changes.

Despite adding all-wheel drive as standard equipment and benefiting from numerous updates for 2022, the Mazda CX-5's base price doesn't rise much for the new model year. It now starts at $27,125, a $580 increase, and most 2022 models are actually a bit cheaper than equivalent 2021 CX-5 AWD models; all-wheel drive was previously a $1400 option on most versions of this compact crossover.

The CX-5's trim levels are rearranged, as the previous Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring monikers are gone. The base model is now the CX-5 2.5 S, and various packages including Select ($29,125), Preferred ($30,385), Premium ($33,535), and Premium Plus ($35,175) add increasing levels of equipment. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four with 187 hp is the base engine, while the turbocharged version of that engine starts off with the $36,510 CX-5 2.5 Turbo model. That turbo engine, by the way, gets a slight power bump and now makes 6 more horsepower for a total of 256 hp. That's when running on premium fuel, as Mazda still quotes the same 227 hp output on regular fuel, and torque is unchanged.

​​​​​​​The loaded 2022 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature starts at $38,630, which is $50 less than last year's Signature model. The Carbon Edition, which has a unique color scheme, continues on and starts at $31,505 but is no longer available with the turbocharged engine.

Mazda says the 2022 CX-5 will go on sale this winter, but it isn't yet available to build on the company's online configurator.