- The third-generation CX-5 boasts a bigger rear seat and cargo area
- A powerful turbo engine is gone from the lineup, but a more powerful hybrid is on the way for next year
Mazda today dropped the curtain on an all-new version of its best-selling model. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 looks like an evolution of the current model, more than a complete reinvention.
It’s still a compact SUV, but it has grown in almost every dimension with the new design.
Much of the powertrain will seem familiar to Mazda fans. The 2026 CX-5 launches with the same engine and transmission as the base model of the 2025 version. But the vehicle will evolve quickly, with a hybrid model coming in 2027.
They’ll continue to sell it alongside the similarly sized CX-50, positioning the CX-50 as the more rugged option and the CX-5 as the more refined, urban take on a crossover. Mazda has not revealed pricing, but we anticipate that the CX-5 will be slightly more affordable than the CX-50, with its $31,920 opening price.
Elegant Nip and Tuck
- Designers borrowed upscale design elements from the CX-70 and CX-90
If there’s a trend in SUV design in recent years, it’s boxy and rugged. Mazda designers have wisely steered clear of it, choosing to evolve the CX-5’s curvier silhouette to keep it unique.
It borrows a few elegant details from the newer, more upscale CX-90 and CX-70, with sharply angled lights and a tasteful chrome underline to what Mazda calls its “Signature Wing grille.” We don’t see wings, but some signatures are hard to read.
The CX-90’s longer hood dimensions don’t translate easily to the compact crossover size. But the new look is most apparent from the rear, where sharper creases appear, and the MAZDA name now stretches across the liftgate, replacing the old badge.
Designers aimed for a look that could seem fashionable in urban settings but still functional as a family car, inspired by “functional yet stylish clothing that has the right look and fit in a variety of situations,” Mazda says.
Rerun Powertrain, for Now
- It will launch with just one powertrain option, a 187-horsepower engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission
At launch, the only option under the hood will be a 2.0-liter 187-hp 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. If that sounds familiar, it should. It’s the same powertrain as the current CX-5, as well as base models of the Mazda3, CX-30, and CX-50.
Most of those cars are also offered with a turbocharged version, making around 250 hp. The CX-5 won’t be, says Mazda’s North American Vice President of Strategic Planning, Stefan Meisterfeld. Fewer than 10% of buyers opted for the turbo last year, so Mazda decided not to bring it back with the third-gen CX-5.
However, buyers looking for more performance will have another option. They’ll just have to wait a year. Mazda plans to introduce a hybrid version of the CX-5 for the 2027 model year. It will be more potent than the base powertrain, Meisterfeld confirms, though the company isn’t releasing any specifications yet.
Mazda currently sells a CX-50 Hybrid that uses a Toyota-derived powertrain. However, Meisterfeld confirms the CX-5 Hybrid will use an entirely new powertrain not shared with any other company.
Every CX-5 will be all-wheel drive (AWD).
More Passenger Space, New Screen
- Engineers focused on rear seat space
- The puck controller is gone, replaced with a big touchscreen
The new CX-5 is nearly five inches longer and half an inch wider than the outgoing model. The extra space has mostly gone to second-row passengers.
“Passenger comfort has been enhanced thanks to increased rear leg, knee, and headroom,” Mazda says. “Rear-seat occupants can stretch out their legs comfortably, and an available panoramic sunroof makes the vehicle feel even more open.”
Larger, wider-opening rear doors make the space easier to access. Meisterfeld says engineers wanted the new CX-5 to be the easiest vehicle in its class to install a child safety seat in.
Drivers face a new 3-spoke steering wheel with controls for most functions. Other climate and entertainment functions run through a large, 15.6-inch touchscreen. The puck controller familiar to owners of current Mazda products is gone.
It all runs on Google technology. Drivers can control climate, navigation, media, and calls through voice commands with Google Assistant. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both present, Meisterfeld says. Both will be wireless, though he could not confirm that wireless versions will be standard at every trim level.