2026 Mazda CX-5
Last Updated:
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 was caught driving around again. still looking a lot like the current 8 year old model…
I mean it is so close it looks almost like the exact same car. With a slightly revised front end. The grille seems a bit narrower and the headlights thinner. These new headlights look to be a bit better integrated into the side of the geille. Something more like the CX-50.
The current, 2nd generation, Mazda CX-5 came out in 2017. For the 2026 model year, anyone would really expect not only a brand-new design, but one that doesn’t look 90% like the old one.
The ‘big deal” for the new CX-5 will be a new Hybrid powertrain. Which will be a Mazda design and not the Toyota powertrain used in the CX-50 Hybrid. I think this just means a PHEV could be available. One that might use the same PHEV system we have seen in the CX-90 and CX-70. That same PHEV powertrain that has been getting mixed reviews at best. As it seems pretty rough and not really ready for primetime. It also only gets around 25 miles of EV range for a big price premium over the 6-cylinder versions.
I am not sure why Mazda would spend so much R&D money to come up with their own regular hybrid system when they’ve just started using the Toyota system on the CX-50. However, we are talking about a company that is offering 2 separate models that are actually the same (CX-70 and CX-90).
No matter what the CX-5 ends up looking like, it won’t look very new. That CX-5 design language is wearing thin after 8 years. A thinner grille and headlights might not be enough to fool potential buyers into thinking this is new.
Disagree. The cx-5 still looks great. A mild nip tuck is all it needs.