New CX-8 to cement Mazda's crossover leadership

The all-new Mazda CX-8 has been released in Australia, bringing the number of Mazda models available here to nine – more than any other country except Japan.

The Japanese brand’s first seven-seat diesel model also brings to four the number of Mazda SUVs available in Australia – the only major market in which the CX-8 is sold alongside the CX-9 and the first to receive it outside Japan.

Mazda Australia expects to sell about 3000 examples of its new large SUV in its first year of sales after attracting more than 15,000 registrations via its public website, most of which were followed up at dealer level.

That will make the CX-8 — which shares its wheelbase with the CX-9 but its width with the CX-5 — Mazda’s most niche SUV model and less popular than large mainstream diesel SUVs like the Toyota Prado, Isuzu M-UX, Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero and even Holden’s Trailblazer.

But excluding off-road 4x4 wagons like the Prado and LandCruiser, Mazda already sells more car-based crossover SUVs than any other brand in Australia.

So combined with the mid-size CX-5 (Australia’s top-selling SUV last year, with almost 26,000 sales), the smaller-still CX-3 (second only to the Mitsubishi ASX in the small SUV segment, with 17,500 sales) an the flagship CX-9, which found more than 9000 homes last year, it could help Mazda out-sell Toyota in a large crossover class currently led by the Kluger.

That said, Toyota’s top-selling HiLux ute and its broader range of SUVs makes its market leadership unassailable for second-placed Mazda, whose Mazda2 is second only to the Hyundai Accent in the light-car class, whose Mazda3 is second only to the Corolla in the small-car category and whose Mazda6 is second only to the Camry in the medium car segment.

While Mazda admits the CX-8 could erode sales of its own SUVs – particularly the CX-9 -- it lists the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento as the CX-8’s most direct rivals and insists it will bring incremental sales.

“We hope it [Mazda SUV sales cannibalisation] will be a minimum,” said Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak. “Obviously there will be a little bit, but the good thing is customers will walk out with a Mazda.

“We’re confident the [total Mazda SUV sales] number will increase. We wouldn’t have launched it if we didn’t think we’d grow the pie.”

Mazda expects entry-level front-wheel drive Sport variants to comprise 60 per cent of sales, all-wheel drive Sport models to account for 10 per cent and the top-shelf Asaki AWD versions to comprise 30 per cent.

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CX-8 pricing and specifications

The 2018 CX-8 line-up includes just three model variants and only two equipment grades – less than any other Mazda SUV because that’s what is available in Japan.

All models come with seven seats and the latest 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine first seen in the 2018 CX-5, matched as standard with a six-speed automatic transmission.

As Mazda announced two weeks ago, the CX8 Sport FWD opens the range at $42,490 plus on-road costs, which is $2500 more than the cheapest CX-5 diesel.

However – despite its standard diesel engine, which normally attracts a price premium – that makes it $1400 cheaper than the entry-level CX-9 (from $43,890; all CX-9s are powered exclusively by a 170kW/420Nm 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four) and about $2000 more affordable than the Kluger V6 (from $44,500).

It also undercuts popular seven-seat AWD diesel SUVs like the Santa Fe (from $44,850) and Sorento (from $45,490) by a respective $2360 and $3000.

Other seven-seat diesel SUV competitors include the Peugeot 5008 (from $45,490), Skoda Kodiaq AWD (from $48,990) and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace AWD (from $46,990).

The mid-range CX-8 Sport AWD costs $4000 more at $46,490 plus ORCs, while the CX-8 Asaki AWD tops the range a substantial $15,000 higher at $61,490 plus ORCs -- $3300 less than the range-topping CX-9 Azami ($64,790).

Base Sport versions come with almost all of the base CX-9 Sport’s standard equipment (except 18-inch wheels and smart key locking/starting) and all of Mazda’s latest i-ACTIVSENSE safety technologies, including a new Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) system and Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA), which is not offered in Japan).

There’s also Smart City Brake Support Forward/Reverse autonomous emergency braking (SCBS F/R), Smart Brake Support (SBS), Lane-keep Assist System (LAS) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDW), Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop and Go (MRCC), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), High Beam Control (HBC), six airbags including side curtains and reversing camera.

Entry-grade CX-8s ride on 17-inch alloy wheels with Gun Metallic finish wearing 225/65 tyres and feature black cloth seat trim. Other standard features include Mazda’s 7.0-inch MZD Connect infotainment display, a windscreen mounted head-up display, automatic LED headlights, three-zone air-conditioning, six-speaker audio with DAB+ digital radio and Bluetooth, satellite-navigation and rear parking sensors.

To this list, Asaki models add 19-inch alloy wheels with Bright Silver finish and 225/55 tyres, Adaptive LED Headlamps (ALH), a 360-degree View Monitor, the choice of Dark Russet or Pure White nappa leather trim and premium Bose 273-Watt/10-speaker sound.

The flagship CX-8 Asaki also adds LED daytime running lamps, LED front foglights, remote-operated power tailgate, heated steering wheel, heated and powered (10-way drive/six-way passenger) front seats, heated rear seats, rear-side window blinds, real wood door and dash inserts, advanced keyless entry and front parking sensors – but no sunroof.

While the base Sport FWD consumes just 5.7L/100km with the aid of idle-stop (much less than the CX-9’s 8.4L/100km) and hits 100km/h in a claimed 9.2 seconds, all AWD models consume 6.0L/100km and hit 100km/h in 9.6sec (claimed).

Mazda says the CX-8 was based on the CX-9 and it rides on the same 2930mm wheelbase, but it’s also 175mm shorter at 4900mm, as well as 17mm lower (1730mm) and 129mm narrower at 1840mm.

That makes it the same width as the CX-5, which has a 2700mm wheelbase, and Mazda says noise suppression was improved over the CX-9 via extra sound deadening in the rear fender panels and tailgate.

The CX-8 offers 209 litres of cargo seats behind the rear seats, expanding to 242 litres including under-floor storage and 742 litres with the third row stowed – about 70 litres less than the CX-9.

Mazda says the individual third-row seats, which score cup-holders and child seat anchors but no ventilation outlets, are suitable for occupants up to 170cm. The middle row slides, reclines and is 40/60-split/folding, providing one-motion rear-seat access.

Outside, it wears slightly different lighting designs front and rear but its front structure is identical to the CX-5, with which it also shares its dashboard but is 200kg heavier at 1840kg (1957kg AWD) but also more rigid, claims Mazda.

As with the CX-9, towing capacity is 2000kg (braked), there is no full-size spare wheel and no local tuning was undertaken. Mazda Australia expects a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating following local crash testing.

The CX-8 is available in seven exterior paint colours (three of which are metallic), service intervals are 10,000km or 12 months and Mazda Australia continues to offer a three-year/unlimited-km warranty without roadside assist.

How much is the 2018 Mazda CX-8?
Sport FWD — $42,490
Sport AWD — $46,490
Asaki AWD — $61,490
* Plus on-road costs