Australia’s second best-selling car maker will launch five new SUVs in 2022 and 2023, four of which will offer six-cylinder and plug-in hybrid power.
Mazda has announced plans to launch five new mid-size and large SUVs over the next two years – led by the Mazda CX-60, confirmed for Australia in 2022.
In an announcement this afternoon, Mazda put months of speculation and rumours to bed, confirming five new SUV models for launch in 2022 or 2023 – the CX-50, CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 – to sit alongside its existing five-strong crossover portfolio (CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, CX-8 and CX-9).
The CX-60 has been confirmed for an Australian launch in 2022, with the remaining four under consideration for our market.
Only the CX-50 will be front-wheel drive – with the remaining four models to sit on Mazda’s new rear- and all-wheel-drive ‘Large’ architecture, and employ a range of inline-six petrol and diesel engines with mild-hybrid or full plug-in hybrid assistance.
Whereas the CX-60 and CX-70 are two-row mid-size SUVs, the CX-80 and CX-90 will be larger vehicles with three rows of seats – though where the latter pair fit in relation to the current CX-8 and CX-9 remains unconfirmed.
In order to provide points of differentiation, and cater to the needs of various markets, not all models will be sold in all regions.
Instead, the CX-60 and CX-80 will focus on markets with “narrower roads and smaller parking lots” such as Europe and Japan, while the CX-70 and CX-90 – which Mazda brands as ‘wide body’ vehicles – will be sold in North America and “other markets” where “larger models with a big presence are preferred”, according to the Japanese manufacturer.
The ‘Large platform’ vehicles will also differ in their powertrains, again catering to different markets.
The CX-60 and CX-80 bound for Europe will be available with SkyActiv-X petrol and SkyActiv-D diesel inline-six engines – both featuring 48-volt mild-hybrid systems – alongside plug-in hybrid variants with four-cylinder petrol engines. Expect these powertrains to feature in Australia-bound CX-60 models.
Meanwhile, CX-70 and CX-90 vehicles bound for North America will introduce new turbocharged inline-six petrol engines, along with plug-in hybrid models – though the engines the hybrids will be based around remains to be seen.
Japanese customers will be offered the mild-hybrid SkyActiv-D diesel inline-six, along with a selection of plug-in hybrids.
Outputs and full details for the new engines are yet to be confirmed, however previous rumours have suggested the new inline-sixes will displace 3.0 and 3.3 litres for petrol and diesel versions respectively, with power outputs – before turbocharging – of around 210kW.
The only model confirmed for Australia thus far is the CX-60, with first showroom arrivals due before the end of 2022. Click here to read more about the new model, formerly tipped to wear the CX-5 or CX-50 nameplate.
While the other three Large platform SUVs can feasibly be introduced by Mazda Australia, a decision has yet to be made on whether they will be offered Down Under.
“All four SUVs in the Large product group are available to Mazda Australia,” a Mazda Australia spokesperson told Drive.
“We are currently working through whether they make sense for our market and offer a strong business case for adding them to our existing line-up. That work has already been done for CX-60 so we can confirm you will see that in Australia before the end of 2022.
Buyers keen on Mazda’s current CX-5, CX-8 and CX-9 SUV range should rest assured knowing existing models will stick around for the remainder of the life cycles, with the spokesperson adding: “The next-generation Large architecture product is a very different offering to our current line-up, as such you will see CX-5 and CX-8 continue to live alongside it.”
The decision to sell new and old models alongside one another explains the mid-life facelift recently revealed for the CX-5, which added revised styling and updated safety technology to “increase the appeal of the vehicle and give it the space to continue growing as part of our crossover SUV line-up,” Mazda says in a statement.
Production of a new, mid-size CX-50 will commence for the US market in January 2022, based on the same front-wheel-drive architecture as the smaller Mazda 3 and CX-30 models – though this vehicle isn’t slated for export markets including Australia. It will be built alongside the Toyota Corolla Cross in a new joint-venture factory with Toyota in Alabama, USA.
Prices for the new models – including the Australia-bound CX-60 – are yet to be confimed, however Mazda says they will occupy “a wide price range coming in above that of the CX-50 or currently-available CX-5”. For reference, today’s CX-5 is priced from $31,390 to $52,380 before on-road costs in Australia.
The five new SUVs will be joined by new versions of the MX-30 small SUV in the first half of 2022, which will pair a small rotary petrol engine with “multiple electrification technologies”.
A range of battery-electric vehicles based on a dedicated electric architecture will arrive from 2025 onwards. All Mazda models will feature some form of electrification by 2030 (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or all-electric), the brand has confirmed.
Stay tuned to Drive for all the latest Mazda CX-50, CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 news.
Fast facts: Mazda’s SUV expansion in short
| Model | Rows of seats | Platform | Major markets | Australia? |
| CX-50 | Two (expected) | Small (FWD) | US | Unlikely |
| CX-60 | Two | Large (RWD) | Europe, Japan | Confirmed |
| CX-70 | Two | Large | North America | Under consideration |
| CX-80 | Three | Large | Europe, Japan | Under consideration |
| CX-90 | Three | Large | North America | Under consideration |
Powertrains by market
- Europe: SkyActiv-X petrol inline-six, SkyActiv-D diesel inline-six, four-cylinder petrol PHEV
- North America: Turbo-petrol inline-six, plus petrol PHEV
- Japan: SkyActiv-D diesel inline-six, plus petrol PHEV
Are you excited for Mazda’s new SUV range? Is there anything you’d like to know more about? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Mazda to launch five new SUVs by 2024, Australia included appeared first on Drive.
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