Mazda SUV avalanche explained

Mazda will soon have one of the most comprehensive SUV offerings available, as it doubles down on the fastest growing part of the market with a huge product expansion over the next few years.

In Australia, the Japanese car-maker’s current SUV line-up comprises the CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, CX-8, CX-9 and the electrified MX-30, but earlier this month Mazda confirmed it’s planning to launch five all-new SUVs internationally including the CX-50, CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.

While the CX-50 will be limited to North America and only the CX-60 has so far been confirmed for Australia (from the second half of 2022), the CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 are all under consideration to eventually replace the CX-8 and CX-9 Down Under.

The CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 are part of Mazda’s new Large Product Group of vehicles and based on the company’s new rear/all-wheel drive platform.

Due to be rolled out by the end of 2023, all four new ‘0’ models are expected to be offered with a range of longitudinally-mounted inline four-cylinder and mild-hybrid six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, plus plug-in hybrid four-cylinder petrol powertrains.

Expect to see 3.0-litre petrol (210kW/340Nm) and 3.3-litre turbo-diesel (210kW/600Nm) inline six-cylinder engines with 48V mild hybrid augmentation, and potentially a top-spec 260kW turbo-petrol six.

However, the influx of new Mazda SUVs under a new double-digit naming convention may be confusing to many, so we’ve decided to break down the portfolio in terms of size, starting with the current crop of SUVs from smallest to largest.

Priced from $22,890, the CX-3 is Mazda’s smallest and cheapest SUV and also Australia’s top-selling light SUV – despite being more than five years old.

The Mazda CX-3 was first introduced in 2015 and then facelifted in 2018, so it’s due for renewal soon. So far there’s no sign of a replacement, but it’s likely to emerge alongside the US-only CX-50 as part of Mazda’s new Small Product Group range.

Like the low-volume MX-30, which is available in mild-hybrid and EV forms, the CX-30 is officially classified as a small SUV, but it’s much more affordable with a starting price of $29,190.

Despite being based on the CX-3, think of the CX-30 as a Mazda3 hatch on stilts. Released in early 2020, the CX-30 has the same upmarket interior fit-out as the award-winning Mazda3 and has proven to be a very popular vehicle for the brand.

First introduced in 2012 and then renewed in 2017, the Mazda CX-5 was once Australia’s favourite SUV and remains Mazda’s top-selling model and the nation’s second most popular mid-size SUV.

Currently priced from $31,190, the second-generation CX-5 will receive another facelift later this year and is expected to be replaced by an all-new model riding on Mazda’s new large platform by 2023.

Essentially a stretched, three-row version of the CX-5, the seven-seat Mazda CX-8 – like its smaller siblings – is available in front- and all-wheel drive configurations with four-cylinder petrol and diesel power.

With a starting price of $39,990, Mazda’s most affordable large SUV has more than doubled its sales so far in 2021 and has a few years left in it, having launched here only in mid-2018.

Mazda’s flagship SUV – for now – is the CX-9, which was named carsales Car of the Year in 2016 and remains available only with four-cylinder turbo-petrol power.

But with six equipment grades and 2WD and AWD options, a total of 11 variants are on offer priced from $45,990. However, Mazda’s new range of inbound SUVs could spell the end for the CX-9 within two years.

Pictured here in a render courtesy of Russian website Kolesu.ru, the Mazda CX-50 looks set to be a smaller front-drive SUV sold only in North America – at least initially.

Built at a new factory in the US shared with Toyota, the CX-50 is set showcase a sporty crossover coupe-like design in 2022.

The Mazda CX-60 is the only new-generation SUV so far officially confirmed for Australia, although Mazda says the CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 are under consideration for local release too.

The new Mazda CX-60 will be a two-row, five-seat mid-size luxury SUV and will likely feature a coupe-like design.

It was originally thought the CX-5 would morph into a more premium offering but it now appears the CX-60 will be that vehicle as Mazda seeks to give Volkswagen and other Europeans a run for their money.

So instead of replacing the Mazda CX-5, the CX-60 will sold be alongside when it arrives in Aussie showrooms in the second half of 2022.

This means the Mazda CX-5, which will be upgraded with a new look late this year, is likely to remain the brand’s ‘affordable’ mid-size SUV option, at least in the short term.

The Mazda CX-70 – rendered here by US website Carbuzz – is expected to be another mid-size SUV but this time a ‘wide-body’ model targeting North America.

That’s in contrast to the narrower bodied CX-60 and CX-80, which will be aimed at Japan, Europe and Australasia, where the roads are traditionally narrower.

The Mazda CX-70, which is tipped to debut in 2023, may adopt a coupe-like design and could be available only with plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Mazda Australia has said the CX-8 will continue to be sold in Australia for the foreseeable future, so the CX-80 could be sold alongside it – if it gets the green light for local consumption.

Like the CX-8, the CX-80 will be a narrow-bodied, three-row seven-seat large SUV, but it will be offered with premium powertrains and a more luxurious interior fit-out. It’s also due to launch in 2023.

Set to become the new flagship in the Mazda SUV range, the CX-90 will be a wide-body large SUV with seven or even eight seats and a range of premium features and finishes.

Although it will be aimed at US buyers, the CX-90 is not off the cards for Australia. If it gets the green light locally, the big luxury SUV could even replace the CX-9 in due course.

The CX-90 is also tipped to hit the market in 2023, when Mazda’s new-generation SUV rollout will be complete, potentially giving Mazda Australia a total of 10 different SUV models.

On the flipside, the discontinuation of the Mazda6 will leave the Mazda2 micro, the Mazda3 small car, the MX-5 roadster and the BT-50 ute as Mazda Australia’s only four non-SUV models.