The next-generation Mazda CX-5 will reportedly venture further up the premium vehicle market and debut with a new platform and new engines. According to a report from Japan’s Best Car Web, the new Mazda CX-5 will supposedly compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3 and be underpinned by the same rear-wheel drive platform as the next-generation Mazda6.
Thanks to this new platform, the SUV could
be offered with two variants of the new inline-six engine being developed by Mazda.
The first could be a 3.0-liter unit using Mazda’s SkyActiv-X technology and
complete with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system while the second could be a diesel
3.3-liter inline-six.
A report from Spyder7 back in July made
similar claims about the next-generation CX-5 and speculated that the SUV could
be dubbed the CX-50. However, this latest report suggests that the CX-5 name
will stick around and that the CX-50 could be introduced as a coupe variant of
the CX-5 and slot between it and the flagship CX-9, effectively filling the
void left behind by the old CX-7.
There’s little doubt that Mazda’s new
inline-six engines will play a significant part in its attempts to establish
itself as a rival to the Germans. In petrol guise, it is speculated the
3.0-liter inline-six could pump out upwards of 350 hp and the addition of
mild-hybrid technology could make it feel a little bit faster than that figure
would suggest.
