Mazda CX-5 25T turbo launched

Australia's most popular SUV, the Mazda CX-5, is tipped to get a high-performance 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine pumping out 169kW after the car was announced in Japan today.

Pre-orders for the more potent Mazda CX-5 '25T' have opened in Japan, the new engine coming as part of another upgrade for the top-selling medium SUV.

Some of the other changes to the updated CX-5 include a more advanced autonomous emergency braking system that now features pedestrian detection at night, 360-degree surround-view parking cameras on more model grades and an updated cabin.

The latter comprises new controls, such as for the temperature dials and switches, and an upgraded six-speaker stereo, while the exterior changes appear limited to new-look 17-inch alloy wheels.

Mazda has also fitted the mid-size SUV with a new version of its advanced handling system, dubbed G-Vectoring Control Plus. This system is designed to improve the way the Mazda CX-5 corners, by using judicious (and automatic) micro-braking applications.

The new 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine -- first seen in the CX-9 large SUV and more recently the facelifted Mazda6 -- will also be offered in the new Mazda CX-5, pumping out 169kW and 420Nm, the latter at just 2000rpm.

It doesn't appear as though Mazda is spruiking its new hotted-up CX-5 as a performance car, but some customers may see top-shelf models as an cut-price alternative to vehicles like the Audi SQ5. Whatever the case, the 169kW Mazda CX-5 should be capable of relatively rapid acceleration, hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission.

In Australia, the Mazda CX-5 was refreshed in May 2018 after the second-generation model launched about a year prior. Mazda Australia has hinted that the refreshed model revealed in Japan, including the boosted engine, could arrive Down Under by October 2019.

Sonia Singh, Mazda Australia's public relations senior manager, told motoring.com.au that the updated CX-5 was "…not confirmed for Australia yet, but we'd love to explore it and we’ll touch base with news on this update in the future."

Singh stated that the company couldn’t talk about arrival timing of the new model but noted that "we tend to have updates every 18 months but nothing is confirmed yet."

It's not yet clear whether the addition of a new turbo-petrol 2.5-litre engine to the CX-5 range will necessitate new model grades, or whether only top-shelf variants will offer the engine -- as is the case with the 2018 Mazda6.