After last month’s unveiling of the all-new Mazda CX-90, attention has turned to the future of the still-powerful CX-5 brand in response to last year’s debut of the CX-60.
While it is still part of the line-up of the automakers despite the unveiling of the two new models, as well as the US-market only CX-50 that premiered two years ago, uncertainty now surrounds whether it will be saved for the third generation or not.
An uncertain future
Although still popular with global sales of 365,135 units since the first generation went on sale in 2012, rumors have started that the CX-5, now six years old, will be discontinued at some stage because Mazda has not completed five models. The new CX line-up with the debut of the still unseen CX-70 and CX-80.
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According to the CX-5 Program Manager, Mitsuru Wakiie, the official announcement has not been made, which means that the car competition for Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Qashqai continues until now.
“I’m not sure if we’re going to introduce the CX-5 or not, so I can’t tell you,” the Australian said. carexpert.com.au quoted Wakiie said through an interpreter after opening the global CX-90’s.
The rest is in South Africa for now
Locally, the CX-5 has been Mazda’s standout model with sales last year of 2,297 units despite its age and is the flagship of the top brand CX-3 and the cheaper CX-30.
The recipient of its first mid-life update two years ago, the CX-5 also provides the basis for the Chinese-market coupe-only CX-4, as well as the CX-8 and CX-9 above it, all of which will be replaced by the CX-60, CX-70 , CX-80 and CX-90 must be approved.
Likely to follow is the CX-30 spun-off from the current-generation Mazda3, while the CX-3, which uses the Mazda2 underpinnings, also faces an uncertain future after being withdrawn from Europe two years ago and later from the United States. amid declining demand.
Sales have, however, continued in Japan, Australia and South Africa with Mazda going so far as to provide the CX-3 with a minor specification upgrade for the local market as a way of reaffirming its future.
Until an official announcement about this and the CX-5 is made, expect both to continue even though Mazda South Africa has announced that it is studying the possibility of introducing some new CX models at some stage during 2023.