Mazda CX-8 2023 Review

Priced at $56,910 plus on-road costs, the 2023 Mazda CX-8 Touring Active on test here sits right at the heart of the family SUV line-up.

It is $14,850 more expensive than the cheapest model in the CX-8 range, the G25 Sport (from $42,060 plus ORCs) and $14,500 less expensive than the flagship of the range, the D35 Asaki LE (from $71,410 plus ORCs).

All up there are nine CX-8s in the 2023 line-up, down from 11 in 2022. There are four G25 petrol front-wheel drives and five D35 2.2-litre turbo-diesel all-wheel drives.

The diesel/AWD combination is a $7000 price hike compared to an equivalent petrol/FWD, so no surprise the latter combo accounts for about 80 per cent of sales.

The Touring Active is the second most affordable diesel/AWD model behind the D35 Sport, which starts at $49,060 plus ORCs.

Touring Active and GT SP are new badges added for 2023, while Touring SP and GT have been deleted. This is emblematic of the fiddling that’s constantly gone on with CX-8, which started life here as three diesel models in 2018.

Essentially a long-wheelbase version of the mid-size Mazda CX-5 with seven seats, the CX-8 is Mazda’s slowest-selling SUV, up till now providing a support act for the critically acclaimed and commercially successful CX-9.

However, with the three new-generation Mazda CX-60, CX-80 and CX-90 SUVs headed our way, the CX-9 will disappear from showrooms by the end of 2023.

That leaves CX-8 miles clear as the cheapest three-row Mazda SUV. The CX-60 is a five-seater that starts at $59,800, the three-row CX-90 starts at $74,385 and pricing for the CX-80 – which will offer three rows – has yet to be announced.

There may be some crossover in CX-8 and CX-80 pricing, but that’s just speculation for the moment as it hasn’t been revealed as yet, let alone prices announced for Australia.

Beyond Mazda’s own phalanx of SUVs, the CX-8 also competes for buyers with some impressive external opposition, including the Kia Sorento – carsales’ reigning Best Family SUV – as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Kluger.

Externally, the 2023 Mazda CX-8 range is upgraded with new headlights and tail-lights, a blocky new grille insert and revised bumpers and tailgate.

The test car is presented in a new Rhodium White metallic paint job that adds $795.

The Touring Active alone gets 19-inch alloy wheels with machined faces.

Inside, it’s the only model with an artificial leather/grey cloth trim in the first two rows of seats. The third row gets only the synthetic Maztex.

It’s also the entry-point in the range for 10-way powered driver and six-way powered front passenger seats. CX-8 front seats also now have firmer padding in the base and have been reshaped.

The front seats and second row outboard seats are also heated.

Equipment the Touring Active shares with lesser CX-8 models includes keyless entry/start and remote window opening, tri-zone climate control and a leather-wrapped gear shifter and steering wheel.

Features offered further up the range the Touring Active misses out on includes a power tailgate, rear door sun shades, seat ventilation, steering wheel heating and ambient lighting.

All CX-8s come with a temporary spare tyre and tyre pressure monitoring.

The CX-8 is protected by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years’ roadside assist.

Although the petrol G25 models have been boosted to 15,000km between services, the D35 remains at a shorter 10,000km. The time interval for servicing remains at 12 months for both.

Over five services the CX-8 Touring Active will cost you $2440 or an average $488 per visit to the dealer. That average has gone up about $100 since 2022.

The 2023 Mazda CX-8 comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on outdated protocols from 2018 when it was first launched.

As a family model, it would be great if Mazda would retest to current standards, but it’s unlikely to happen considering the CX-8 is probably closer to the end of its life than the start and would be unlikely to score five stars.

Front, front-side and curtain airbags that extend to row three are standard.

The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system detects and brakes for vehicles and pedestrians day and night but does not identify cyclists. It also brakes to avoid reversing collisions.

Other driver assist systems include adaptive cruise control with the ability to autonomously pull up and go again in traffic, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert and driver fatigue monitoring that is very, very alert.

The CX-8 Touring Active gets a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition with a smart speed assistant, ISOFIX child seat mountings in the outboard seats of row two and top tether strap points in both row two and three.

All CX-8s also come with LED headlights. Adaptive front lighting that avoids dazzling oncoming drivers kicks in with Touring Active.

Safety gear offered in higher-spec models the Touring Active misses out on includes 360-degree view monitor and a cruising and traffic support function that maintains the gap to the vehicle in front in heavy traffic and keeps the CX-8 centred in its lane.

It’s an absence you notice: the Touring Active wanders in the lane when left to its semi-autonomous devices. The system is easily disabled and stays off until the driver chooses to reactivate it (yay).

No CX-8 comes with hands-off/feet-off parking assistance.

The 2023 Mazda CX-8 Touring Active benefits from the same technology updates as the rest of the range.

All models now have the non-touch Mazda Connect 10.25-inch touch-screen sitting on the dashboard and a 7.0-inch digital instrument display in front of the driver.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available with a wireless connection. A few early examples of this MY23 update arrived without wireless Android but it’s a 15-minute fix at a Mazda dealer to get the software patch applied.

USB-C ports are now located in the lidded bin between the front seats, while there are USB-A ports in the drop-down arm rest in the second row. Higher-spec CX-8s starting with the GT SP also get USB points in row three.

The infotainment screen is now non-touch because Mazda says it’s too distracting. A head-up display is fitted for the same reason – to keep the driver’s eyes on the road.

Control of the touch-screen via dials and buttons on the centre console is much the same as the superseded MZD Connect system that allowed the old screen to operate when the vehicle was stationary.

CX-8 Touring Active Infotainment features include embedded satellite navigation, Bluetooth streaming, a six-speaker audio system and AM/FM and digital radio bands.

It misses out on wireless smartphone charging and a 10-speaker Bose audio system available in higher-grade models.

The 2023 Mazda CX-8 Touring Active’s D35 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine is also known as the Skyactiv-D and has been around in Australia since the launch of the original Mazda CX-5 in 2012.

This engine has encountered a number of problems and recalls through the years including oil overfilling. There has been only one minor recall for the engine in the CX-8.

The aluminium-block DOHC 16-valve twin-turbocharged engine produces 140kW at 4500Nm and an appealing 450Nm from 2000rpm. It drives via a six-speed auto and Mazda’s i-Activ multi-plate clutch all-wheel drive system.

For 2023 the D35’s accelerator pedal has been retuned to be firmer in its operation. If the change is responsible for the deadness apparent sometimes at tip-in throttle, it’s not a great success.

The G25 Skyactiv-G petrol engine is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder that also produces 140kW (at a higher 6000rpm) and a less-impressive 252Nm of torque at 4000rpm. It also uses a six-speed auto, though driving only the front wheels.

The official combined fuel consumption claim for the D35 powertrain in the 2023 Mazda CX-8 Touring Active is 6.0L/100km.

This is a figure achieved with the assistance of the i-Stop function that automatically turns the engine off and on when appropriate, such as when stopped at traffic lights, to save fuel.

On test, driving on a predominantly open-road test loop of about 150km with just one passenger and virtually no luggage, the Touring Active averaged 8.6L/100km.

On a similar loop one-up, a G25 Asaki averaged 10L/100km. The official combined average for the petrol engine is 8.1L/100km on 91RON unleaded fuel.

So here are some basic facts and figures to consider about the 2023 Mazda CX-8.

Built on an extended version of the CX-5’s monocoque chassis, it employs MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, electric-assist rack and pinion power steering and disc brakes.

The CX-8 measures up at 4925mm long, 1845mm wide, 1725mm high and has a 2930mm wheelbase. So it’s bigger than the Kia Sorento in length (4810mm), wheelbase (2815mm) and height (1700mm), but is narrower (1900mm).

The CX-8 Touring Active weighs in at 1949kg, which is not bad for a seven-seat, 5.0m-long, diesel all-wheel drive wagon. The G25 front-driver, by comparison, weighs in as light as 1799kg. But there’s no doubt which one drives the better. The diesel is the pick.

Much more low-down pulling power makes progress from idle smoother, faster and nowhere near as frantic. There’s less chopping and changing of gears under acceleration and climbing hills.

As a result, the D35 is generally quieter and less obtrusive than the G25. It’s the inverse to the normal diesel-petrol relationship.

And all that’s without a load of people and luggage onboard. These traits would be exacerbated under those circumstances.

Blessed with all-paw traction, the Touring Active powers on cleanly from tight corners, resists wheelspin in wet bends and steers directly.

The G25 wheelspins and tugs the steering in tight bends in the wet or dry, simply struggling to turn and convey torque solely through the front wheels at the same time.

The added weight of the Touring Active also makes it feel more settled on the road. Both are confident, the diesel all-wheel drive just more so.

It’s hard to say how much of that confidence is due to retuned springs and dampers introduced for 2023 in search of better balance. But the secure handling and firmly comfortable ride of the CX-8 were already good.

Yes, the 2023 Mazda CX-8 can go off-road – a bit.

But considering its limited ground clearance and underbody protection, road tyres and lack of low-range gearing, you’d be struggling if you went too far beyond a gravel road. In that environment it is stable and predictable.

The D35/AWD powertrain includes a ‘Mi-drive’ off-road mode that changes the throttle map and transmission settings. There’s also a Normal mode for bitumen driving.

The i-Activ all-wheel drive system also includes ‘off-road traction assist’ that brakes individual wheels to redirect drive torque when in sticky situations.

The 2023 Mazda CX-8 continues to be an excellent hauler of loads and people.

Besides the flagship Asaki LE with its two captain’s chairs in the middle row, every CX-8 including the Touring Active can fit seven people.

Now, there are some caveats. The middle seat in row two is definitely the short straw. It’s hard and high and foot space is impeded by the transmission tunnel.

And people beyond 170cm tall really should confine themselves to the first two rows for anything but the shortest trips. It is tight for legroom and headroom in row three.

Look, you can make concessions by sliding the row two bench forward (an excellent feature), but for longer trips don’t plan to put your 200cm-tall teenager in the back. They’ll never talk to you again… no seriously, don’t do it whatever the inventive!

Access to the second row is via doors that open to a wide 80 degrees – another great future. The left and right sides of the bench can be manually folded and flipped forward to aid row three access.

Exit and entry is a bit of a convoluted process but if you want real people-mover ease and flexibility, buy a people-mover.

With all three rows in place there is only limited luggage space (207 litres), with two rows in place it’s generous (775 litres) and with only two seats upright up front it’s commodious (1727 litres).

There’s also a compartment hidden under the boot floor and plenty of storage options around the cabin including in row three.

Up front, the CX-8 Touring Active is a familiar Mazda presentation and these days just that bit old-school with its orthodox instrument panel and dashboard free of a huge screen.

But a three-spoke steering wheel that manually adjusts for reach and rake, a large, supportive and updated seat and a sizeable left footrest ensure driver comfort.

The logical set of controls help ensure access to most required functions pretty quickly most of the time. Still not convinced by the non-touch infotainment screen though. Plenty of time is spent looking at it while dialling through options.

Apple CarPlay can be a laborious process till you figure out how to use the shortcuts on offer such as the back button.

Improved clarity compared to the old screen is a definite plus.

The CX-8 Touring Active is well-presented and appears well-built to the usual Japanese standard. Soft-touch cabin materials accentuate this perception.

The 2023 Mazda CX-8 is an appealing family SUV with a well-designed and spacious interior, good driving manners and decent economy in diesel form.

For a car that will cost you $60,000 by the time you get it on the road, there are some equipment omissions in the Touring Active that seem Scroogian – wireless smartphone charging, a power tailgate, any form of automated parking and what about an AEB system that detects cyclists?

If you do fancy investigating the CX-8 then when you head to the Mazda showroom have a good look at the model line-up and figure out where you reckon your money might best be spent.

There’s plenty of choice.

Alternatively, there are plenty of rival family SUVs you could consider – including some brand-new models Mazda is about to launch!

2023 Mazda CX-8 Touring Active at a glance:
Price: $56,910 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 158g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2018)