Mazda CX-5 getting a hybrid to take on the RAV4

The Mazda CX-5 is set to get a hybrid powertrain in its next generation, allowing it to take on electrified SUV rivals from Toyota, Honda, Nissan and others.

Mazda made the announcement during a presentation on its results for the Japanese fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

The carmaker didn’t provide much detail, other than to confirm it will use a “Mazda-developed hybrid engine”. Just how much of its powertrain will be developed in-house is unclear.

Mazda also referred to it as the “next CX-5”, indicating it will retain its nameplate.

The similarly sized CX-50, in contrast, has been revealed with a hybrid powertrain shared with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

It’s unclear whether the next CX-5 will use a plug-in hybrid setup, as seen in the Mazda CX-60 and CX-90, or a conventional hybrid system like the CX-50 and RAV4.

Mazda Australia has already confirmed the next-generation CX-5 will be offered here, with the CX-50 ruled out for our market as it’s built only in left-hand drive.

We don’t yet know, however, when the next-generation model will debut. Mazda first confirmed a replacement for the current model back in 2022.

The current CX-5 isn’t offered with any electrified powertrains except in Europe, where mild-hybrid models are available.

It also first entered production back in 2016, while its underpinnings date back further to 2012.

Despite its age and the arrival of the overlapping CX-50 in markets like North America and China, the CX-5 was still Mazda’s best-selling vehicle globally in 2023 with 354,850 sales, down 2.8 per cent on the year before.

Likewise, it was Mazda’s best-selling vehicle locally. The brand shifted 23,083 examples last year, making it the eighth best-selling vehicle in Australia.

It was the third best-selling vehicle in the mid-sized SUV segment, behind only the Mitsubishi Outlander (24,263) and Toyota RAV4 (29,627).

MORE: Everything Mazda CX-5