Mazda CX-5 set to go upmarket with six-cylinder power

The all-new third-generation Mazda CX-5 will challenge the likes of the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC in an ambitious drive to position the mid-size SUV further upmarket.

According to BestCarWeb.jp, repositioning the popular Mazda CX-5 will coincide with the next generation moving to an all-new rear-wheel drive architecture that will underpin the 2022 Mazda6 replacement.

The switch to the new platform, which has also been developed to offer all-wheel drive, will also see the Mazda CX-5 adopt the Japanese car-maker's all-new inline six-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, combining with 48-volt mild-hybrid tech on both the petrol and diesel versions.

According to leaked copyright drawings, the 48-volt tech will combine a belt-driven starter-generator and a small lithium-ion battery that is charged by energy recovered under braking.

That could see the Mazda CX-5 offer up to 260kW, according to sources.

To reflect its repositioning, the Japanese car blog suggests Mazda bosses are planning to rename their mid-size SUV as the Mazda CX-50 – a moniker that came to light earlier this year via trademark patents – which indicates that a sportier SUV-coupe body style is in the mix.

With the migration to the larger platform, it's logical the next Mazda CX-5 will grow in length and overall size, producing room in the car-maker's line-up for yet another SUV – just as it did with the Mazda CX-30.

Like the bigger rear-drive Mazda6, BestCarWeb.jp suggests that the all-new replacement for the current Mazda CX-5, which went on sale in 2017, should be here in 2022.