Mazda Unveils New Off-Road CX-50 SUV To Battle The Bronco

Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Instead of making an off-road version of the CX-5, Mazda created an entirely new all-terrain SUV vehicle to appeal to a new car market. The upcoming CX-50 off-road crossover was unveiled on Monday. The brand-new Mazda CX-50 will be the first vehicle jointly produced by Mazda and Toyota in the manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Mazda CX-50 will be an off-road-oriented SUV with a higher ground clearance version of the CX-5 – featuring rugged-style accessories.

“But it is still a unibody crossover and based on the same transverse architecture as the Mazda 3 and CX-30,” Car & Driver reports. “Mazda says it’s slightly longer than the CX-5 and claims that it has more room for rear-seat passengers. Mazda’s upcoming longitudinal architecture and inline-six engine won’t arrive until the larger CX-70 and CX-90 crossovers make their debut.”

Powering the five-seater CX-50 will be the naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions of Mazda’s Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Output is expected to be around the same 187 horsepower and 250 hp as they do in the CX-5. There is expected to be a Toyota-inspired hybrid with an electric powertrain option available at a later date. Details have yet to be released.

Mazda promises:

Enjoy a seamless connection to every terrain with our newest i-Activ AWD® technology, a standard feature on all trim levels. The CX-50 is also equipped with Mazda intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive) technology that includes drive modes which enhance off-road and sport driving. Turbo models also include a mode designed to support towing. So, you can stay effortlessly immersed in the moment, no matter where the road takes you.

Motor 1 reports, “The exterior of the CX-50 maintains the brand’s signature “Kodo” design language, but with a fun outdoor flair. Typical of an adventure vehicle, there’s black plastic cladding on the wheel arches and fascias, with high-strength roof rails up high for added versatility. The grille also gains thicker black accents and larger vents live on either side of the bumper. And now buyers can select a sharp-looking Zircon Sand exterior paint job to go with those rugged good looks.”

Mazda hasn’t released pricing information for the CX-50, but the new truck model is expected to cost more than the CX-5 that starts at $27,945 with all-wheel drive. The off-road SUV is expected to hit Mazda dealerships in 2022.

“If you’re off the pavement, off-road mode is the one you want,” said Dave Coleman, vehicle development engineer at Mazda R&D. “It’s as simple as that.”

“While [multiple off-road modes] seems exciting in the showroom, we found it confusing off-road,” Coleman added. “The real-world conditions are always some ambiguous combination of surfaces landing somewhere between the settings you’re choosing from. We firmly believe the most intelligent system in the vehicle is the driver.”

Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda


Mazda CX-50 Photos, Specs Revealed.

Mazda