2027 Mazda CX-5 Hybrid Is a Compact SUV Worth Waiting For

What It IsMazda’s popular compact SUV will be significantly updated with a new look inside and out and a new hybrid powertrain. The current generation of the CX-5 has been around since the 2017 model year and is in need of some freshening, and spy photos indicate that it will receive new front- and rear-end designs with more modern-looking lighting elements. We also expect to see a redone interior with larger screens for the infotainment system and digital gauge cluster.Why It MattersAs Mazda’s bestselling model, the CX-5 plays in the hot compact-SUV segment. It’s one of two Mazda entries in this class, with the similarly sized CX-50—which already offers a hybrid variant—being the other.PlatformAlthough the CX-5 rides on a previous version of Mazda’s Skyactiv platform, not the one used by newer models such as the Mazda 3 and CX-50, we expect it to continue utilizing this older architecture with this redesign.PowertrainUnlike the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid, which uses a powertrain from the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the CX-5 Hybrid will use a new hybrid drivetrain developed in-house by Mazda. We don’t have many details on this setup yet, but we expect it to incorporate Mazda’s 2.5-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine in some form or another. It will likely come standard with all-wheel drive, and it should promise significantly higher fuel-economy numbers when compared with the standard model’s EPA combined figures of 24 to 28 mpg. In terms of power output, expect it to come in somewhere in between the CX-5’s base 187-hp naturally aspirated inline-four and the optional 256-hp turbo-four.KGP Photography|Car and DriverCompetitionNearly every entry in the compact-SUV segment now has a hybrid option, and the arrival of the CX-5 Hybrid will give Mazda two entries to do battle with the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and others.What Might Go WrongThe Mazda showroom is getting crowded with compact SUVs, and the CX-5 Hybrid will have to offer something different from the CX-50 Hybrid to justify its existence. In developing its own new hybrid system, Mazda is also taking a risk, as it will have to be sure to work out the kinks in this new drivetrain before going up against proven gas-electric setups from rivals including Honda and Toyota.Estimated Arrival and PriceMazda confirmed that the CX-5 Hybrid will go on sale in 2027, and we expect it will start at around $37,000.See all the cars worth waiting forMore on the CX-5Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.  
Source: caranddriver.com