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2026 Mazda CX-5.

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As scheduled, Mazda has finally redesigned the CX-5 SUV. And it’s really hard to tell which one is the new one when you compare it to the 9-year-old current model…

We knew the new Mazda CX-5 wasn’t going to look that different from the current one, from so many spy shots and illustrations we had seen over the past year. And yet, it is still amazing to see how close it is to the old design. And pretty sad.

I noticed that Mazda fans are a pretty sensitive bunch and don’t appreciate any criticism of their favorite brand. But this isn’t good news for Mazda. Something like this will not attract any new buyers to the brand. I can only imagine current happy Mazda customers buying this, and almost no one else…

However, these current customers might not like the new interior. Since Mazda did its best to copy Tesla, practically everything is now controlled by the center screen. A strange move since most manufacturers are in the process of realizing it is not what most people want. And many, like VW and others, are now putting back some buttons and switches in their newer designs. Not Mazda.

The powertrain choice is also a disappointment, as it is the exact same as before. The good old 2.5-liter returns. Which might, again, not bother current owners. And so does the 6-speed auto. Which is, by now, really an outdated unit compared to any of its competition. Strange that Mazda cannot offer an 8-speed auto these days, after all these years.

As for the long-awaited Hybrid, it’s not ready yet. Not until 2027!

That means for 2 years, the only powertrain will be once again the 2.5-liter/ 6-speed auto combo.

On the bright side, the new Mazda CX-5 is 4 inches longer, and the back seat is roomier. And, unlike eth exterior, the interior does look all new. Maybe not that much better, but new.

I think the new CX-5 is terrible news for Mazda. Their most popular model needed something much better than this after 9 years. A smaller company like Mazda cannot really afford big mistakes. Waiting 2 years for the Hybrid is just a terrible mistake, on top of many others…

Conversation 15 comments

  1. Placing that giant screen in the middle (instead of above or below) the dashboard is a bad move. Looks clumsy.

  2. I like the large screen and where it’s positioned. Interior looks much better, but I agree that they should have kept a small, discreet line of buttons for common usage needs.

    They kept the exact same shifter as the current model which is my only complaint about the interior design otherwise.

    As for the exterior, idk. I think the current CX-5 still looks fantastic and is aging very well, it just needed more legroom in the rear and they fixed that problem. Strong disagree that this is a bad move. The new RAV4 is similar to the current one, it has more subtle changes than the CX-5 because Toyota has a budget orders of magnitude larger than Mazda.

    2.5 with the ancient 6-speed? That’s bad. I think the powertrain situation is the greatest mistake they made out of the entire redesign. My mother had a 2018 version of this with the exact same powertrain combo and that 6-speed was quite awful, it was clunky and hesitant, and the vehicle was a little underpowered. Two whole years for the hybrid? Absurd.

    However, sales are up for the brand by 61k vehicles YoY (363k for 2023 and 424k for 2024), and YTD vs 2024 they are up 8k vehicles (202k vs 210k.). These annual sales increases are almost entirely composed of the CX-90 which probably has a higher profit margin, so that is good. YTD the CX-50 is driving strong gains of 24% this year, but the CX-90 has an 8% increase so it’s doing well. I think the CX-5 will do well for them since the existing ancient model is up 3% YTD.

    Btw, I drive two Hyundais so I have no horse in this race as a Mazda fanboy. In fact I hate the ride of the CX-90 so much I am amazed it is selling as well as it is. It sold about 45% as much as the Palisade and 30% as much as the Pilot. Not terrible for a little company like Mazda.

  3. Mazda should have brought that new hybrid at the intro. And I agree, knobs and buttons are essential. Touch screens just aren’t practical. They’re trendy, but a PITA. I like the interior update. The black or black-white combo had gotten stale.

  4. Why would they make the same mistake as other brands by removing the buttons for the HVAC. This is really sad.

  5. I think it looks fine and modern. I was not a fan of the previous design as it looked dated (also because it was).

  6. Mazda could have just refreshed the old CX-5 if they had given it the hybrid option. This is backwards.

  7. dude it’s 2025, people couldn’t care less what cars look like anymore … the only purchase parameter they have besides manufacturer incentives is the ratio of “how big of an infotainment screen can I get for the least amount of money”

  8. Honestly the old body style and old interior looks better then the new one.

  9. The all in one screen is a bad design direction, especially when its just a tacked on tablet. Also kind of thinking this increase in size might push out a lot of Mazda buyers who liked something more city-capable, easy to park and maneuver. Now its just like everything else, when they should have just brought the CX-60 to the US. I hope Mazda didn’t kill the CX-5’s multi link rear suspension and put that bouncy trailing link s**t suspension from the CX-50/CX-30 in it. Those suck on the highway. They think they’ve engineered their way around the problem, but they haven’t.

  10. I don’t see this surpassing the sales of the current. I have been a loyal Mazda for over 20 years and I doubt that I would buy this. Even with discounts and owner loyalty incentives I think it would be a hard pass for me.

  11. The front end is awkward and hideous. The rest of the exterior looks okay, but the whole design looks like a derivative of the current gen vehicle.

    I think a buttonless interior is a mistake. I also can’t believe that Mazda discontinued the turbo and still offered an outdated six speed auto transmission on the new version. I also agree with the previous comment about the rear suspension; hopefully, Mazda didn’t drop the multi-link setup in an effort to penny pinch on this vehicle. If so, that may have been one compromise too many on a vehicle that appears to offer very little in improvements over the current gen version.

    Mazda seems to be making some very poor and perplexing product decisions lately.

  12. I wish they redesigned the greenhouse to make it look lioe a next generation and not a facelift.

  13. I’ve had 2 CX5’s and still drive my 2018, and am generally leased with it. I was hoping for more, at least a 7 speed automatic, and 200 hp…so not much really. I get making it a bit larger, but without more power, and a touch screen without buttons or the rotary control, it won’t be on my list of new cars. It looks like the Zoom Zoom has been replaced my Yawn Yawn…Its competing with the Rav4 and CRV for space…a people mover and grocery store runner. At least it doesn’t have a CVT.

  14. We recently went with the plain old ICE CX-50 instead of the CX-5. Liked the newer design, nice interior, HVAC buttons, just enough tech for older folks like us. Living in the NYC metro area, it’s a perfect fit.

  15. Your take is exactly opposite of what I think will happen. New buyers WILL go to it as it now has more width, rear seat, and cargo space, which discouraged some from buying the current one. The market (and reviews) keep saying they want a larger screen, so they’ve done it. What’s not mentioned is they’ve also said that a lot more physical controls have been placed on the steering wheel (and you can see those areas are completely new), so everything does not need to be controlled by the touchscreen. More details about that are likely coming in the future.

    Who is NOT likely to rush out and buy it are current owners, as this initial model year will have the same drivetrain that’s now over a decade old. Unless you must have a few inches more space, it’s not time for an upgrade, yet. Now, when the hybrid arrives, the current owners may start a stampede. I think it will do just fine the first year and probably increase substantially in the second.

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