THE THIRD-GENERATION Mazda CX-5 will arrive in Australia in mid-2026 with a revised model of its predecessor’s naturally-aspirated petrol four-cylinder engine, whereas a extra highly effective and lower-CO2 hybrid engine choice won’t be a part of the vary till late 2027 or 2028.
The delay between the CX-5’s mannequin changeover in Australia and the addition of a brand new Mazda-developed hybrid system for the best-selling midsize SUV is linked to engineering and manufacturing timing which is prioritising left-hand drive at two key life cycle levels.
Mazda has not completed growth work on its bespoke ‘Skyactiv-Z’ petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, which can see the brand new CX-5 straight goal the Toyota RAV4 hybrid on gas financial system whereas doubtlessly outpunching it on energy.
In consequence, within the face of stiff CO2 emissions penalties in Australia—and much more urgently in Europe—the Hiroshima, Japan-based carmaker will depend on lower-emission, detuned variations of its acquainted 2.5-litre Mazda ‘Skyactiv-G’ non-hybrid, non-turbo engine.
Regardless of Japan sharing RHD standing with Australia, manufacturing of the third-gen CX-5 will initially be left-hook in an effort to prioritise European deliveries, which begin in late 2025 with a light hybrid model of the Skyactiv-G engine, although energy and torque figures haven’t been launched.
In Australia, the brand new CX-5’s carryover 2.5-litre/AWD launch mixture skips the delicate hybrid in favour of pure petrol, although the detuned 132kW/244Nm outputs (-8kW/-10Nm) ought to lead to a shallow CO2 discount in comparison with its predecessor’s 172g/km emissions.
Whereas it stays obtainable for now, in outgoing CX-5 form, Mazda’s punchy turbocharged model of the ‘G’ engine, which made 170kW/420Nm, has been discontinued largely due to its stubbornly excessive 191g/km emissions, in accordance with Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi.
“NVES does have an effect on a turbocharged, performance-type powertrain,” Mr Bhindi informed GoAuto.
However salvation is on the horizon within the type of the CX-5’s future hybrid engine, which is slated to provide extra energy and torque than the non-hybrid whereas slashing CO2 emissions to a stage nearer to that of the Toyota RAV4 hybrid (109g/km).
“The US market has knowledgeable that 2027 is when they are going to be launching the hybrid,” Mr Bhindi stated. “[Australia] can be thereabouts. We now have requested it earlier quite than later.”
In the meantime, US outlet CarBuzz quoted Mazda North America vice chairman of strategic planning Stefan Meisterfeld as stating “the (CX-5) hybrid system could have efficiency that’s corresponding to or exceeding the turbo powertrain.”
In contrast to the US-market Mazda CX-50, which is offered with a hybrid engine utilising a Toyota hybrid system utilized by the Corolla Cross, the CX-5 hybrid’s electrified powertrain employs in-house hybrid tech designed to satisfy Mazda’s inside driving dynamics targets.
“There’s nonetheless numerous engineering work to be performed (on the CX-5 hybrid),” Mr Bhindi confirmed to GoAuto. “Our engineers are making certain they fine-tune it to seize that Zoom-Zoom (feeling). Will probably be very Mazda. It’s going to ship the issues vital (to what) the motive force feels within the automobile.”
When the CX-5 hybrid does lastly arrive in Australia—both squeezing into late 2027 or in early 2028, relying on whether or not Mazda Australia will get its means—it’s seemingly the non-hybrid engine will stick round as a extra reasonably priced choice.
The CX-5 hybrid powertrain is more likely to sit above the non-hybrid within the line-up, not less than whereas some stage of buyer demand stays, Mr Bhindi stated.
“I’m not certain that, by 2027, all clients can be prepared for hybrid-only. Our pondering could be that if the two.5 continues to be obtainable—and there’s affordable demand—there ought to be no motive we don’t have them side-by facet.
“If our manufacturing facility eliminates [the non-hybrid], we could have no selection, however our pondering is that (they may) co-exist,” Mr Bhindi stated.
One motive Mazda Company may get rid of manufacturing of the non-hybrid engine is because of rising divergence between its CO2 emissions (probably round 160g/km in new-gen type) and European and Australia.
Australia has accounted for seven per cent of the 4.15 million CX-5 gross sales banked by Mazda for the reason that mannequin’s inception in 2012, which means the Australian regulatory surroundings performs an outsized function in product planning for the car.
Native NVES emissions legal guidelines penalise fleet common CO2 emissions of better than 141g/km in 2025, however these limits tighten yearly—relevantly to simply 92 and 68g/km respectively in 2027 and 2028, being the discharge window for the CX-5 hybrid.
Producers whose ‘fleets’ (being complete gross sales in a calendar 12 months) exceed NVES limits face monetary penalties of $100 per gram of CO2 over the related annual cap, multiplied by the entire variety of automobiles bought. Mazda Australia expects a small penalty in 2025 and a bigger one in 2026.
Monetary penalties started to accrue on 1 July 2025 beneath NVES laws, with all variants of the present CX-5 vary emitting better than this 12 months’s CO2 limits. However even when the hybrid arrives, it may simply emit greater than the allowed CO2 in 2027 or 2028.
Whereas the CX-5 hybrid will undoubtedly help Mazda Australia in complying with NVES (and avoiding related penalties), plug-in hybrids and full EVs might want to account for a better share of the carmaker’s native gross sales.
“I count on Mazda sellers would speak to a buyer a couple of plug-in hybrid model of the CX-60 if they’re CX-5, however our pondering is we are going to all the time first, as a precedence, meet buyer demand,” Mr Bhindi stated.
