2026 Mazda CX-5 teasers.
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Mazda just dropped a few official teasers for the upcoming redesigned CX-5. Which is their most important ad and most popular model.
Some comments were made on my recent “2026 Mazda CX-5″ post about the CX-5 design being iconic and comparing it to the Porsche 911. As an excuse for looking very much the same as the current 9-year-old model. The 911, like the VW Beetle or Jeep Wrangler, are true iconic designs that have been around for decades. And almost a century by now. A Japanese SUV that first came out in 2012 cannot be compared to these true design icons. It seems Mazda fans are very sensitive about their favorite car brand and treat the CX-5 as a religious icon. Which, I guess, happens once in a while…
From the teasers, it does seem the new generation will do its best to look as similar as possible to the new one. Let’s just hope it doesn’t look as bad as the European CX-60…
The new CX-5 will go head-to-head against the all-new Toyota RAV4. As well as an upcoming new Nissan Rogue.
Of course, the new CX-5 will not actually be the same car. With a brand new Hybrid system being the biggest news under the hood.
That front end with the big grille has to go. Something new has to replace it after all these years on all Mazda designs except the Miata.
I just cannot imagine this design luring new customers into a Mazda showroom if they were not interested in the current model.
We won’t have too long since Mazda will show us the new CX-5 on July 10.
How is that an excuse if customers like how it looks? I’m glad they go too far away from it’s current design.
I wonder if Mazda has stretched the wheelbase by just a bit. Hard to tell from the reflection picture. An interesting note on the big front ends (in general) following your comments about big grills/fronts… I was at my local Honda service on Monday, and I usually like to chat with the guys there a bit when I go. We were discussing me bringing in the older car in near perfect condition and how I’ve approached service on it (I’ve had zero issues in 155k miles). I was asked what I thought about their new models, and I mentioned not liking the design and the big overhags on the current Accord. The Svc Mgr is an old Honda fan and drives an Si. He surprised me by saying, the service people appreciate that when Honda put the new hybrid e-motor systems in, it really packed the engine bay along the wheel axis direction. So a lot of other components had to be relocated, and Honda placed them both between the engine and firewall AND between the engine and front. The service guys were grateful that the layout still allowed enough room for easy servicing of all the components, which is a hallmark of Honda engine bays. Other brands don’t do that and service can be much more expensive as you have to pull stuff out to gain access. I guess I never really considered that when I commented on the Accord. So, there’s some logic there other than just added sensors and crush zones. Regardless, I still think the Accord is a bad overall design.
Calling the CX-5 an “Iconic” design at the birth of its 3rd generation is hilarious. It’s not an MX-5 Miata!