Mazda unveiled last week a first hybrid variant of its CX-50 compact SUV for the 2025 model year. The Japanese manufacturer is thus entering late in a race dominated for many years by Toyota.
It is also to this competitor with much more resources that Mazda has relied to provide the powertrain for this new model. A 2.5 L four-cylinder supported by three electric motors – one of which is bolted to the rear axle – reduces the thirst of this CX-50. All-wheel drive is thus offered as standard, without any mechanical link to the combustion engine. Just like the RAV4 hybrid, which uses this same hybrid unit, the total power peaks at 219 hp.
Average fuel consumption is estimated at 6.2 L/100 km, or 2.7 L/100 km less than the naturally aspirated version of the 2.5 L, the standard engine in the CX-50. It is also practically identical to the RAV4 hybrid, which consumes 6 L/100 km. Mazda also specifies that its engineers have tweaked the settings to better harmonize with the CX-50’s platform, which is said to be more dynamic. Note that the trunk barely decreases in volume despite the integration of the battery, going from 890 to 826 L.
In terms of pricing, this new hybrid version of the compact SUV will be priced at $3,000 more than the versions equipped with the naturally aspirated 2.5 L. Its starting price is therefore set at $42,950, a little over $7,000 more than the entry-level RAV4. That said, the CX-50 has always had a more luxurious positioning through more equipment. On sale at the end of the year.