The Mazda CX-50 is a

compact crossover SUV Compact crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, between subcompact crossover SUV and mid-size crossover SUV. By late 2010s, the segment ...

produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

since 2022 for the North American and Chinese market. Based on the same

transverse Transverse may refer to: *Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle *Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally * Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tangen ...

front-wheel-drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longi ...

platform as the fourth-generation Mazda3 and the CX-30, the vehicle is sold alongside the slightly smaller CX-5 and will be positioned below the larger, rear-wheel-drive based CX-70.

Overview

2023 Mazda CX-50 GT in Wind Chill Pearl, Rear Left, 09-03-2022

The CX-50 was officially revealed on November 15, 2021. Compared to the smaller CX-5, the vehicle is designed with emphasize in "active and outdoor lifestyles", by introducing squarer styling and larger body cladding. A more rugged off-road-styled variant named the Meridian Edition is also available. Mazda's i-Activ

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...

technology and Mazda Intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive) are standard in the CX-50. Compared to the CX-5, Mazda designed a lower roof for the CX-50 to grant easier access to the roof racks, despite the increased

ground clearance Ride height or ground clearance is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the lowest point of the automobile (typically the axle); or, more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level surface, and the lowest p ...

. It is also the first Mazda ever to feature a panoramic sunroof as an option. It began production at the

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (MTMUS) is a joint venture automobile manufacturing factory in Huntsville, Alabama, United States owned by Japanese automobile manufacturers Mazda and Toyota. The companies announced on January 10, 2018 ...

plant in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

, United States alongside the unrelated

Toyota Corolla Cross The is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2020. Adopting the Corolla nameplate, it is positioned as a more practical and larger alternative to the C-HR and built on the same TNGA-C (GA-C) platf ...

on January 26, 2022, marking Mazda's return to production in the United States after 10 years when American assembly of the

Mazda6 The Mazda6 (known as the Mazda Atenza in Japan and China, derived from the Italian '' attenzione'') is a mid-size sedan produced by Mazda since 2002, replacing the long-produced Capella/626. The Mazda6 was marketed as the first example of the c ...

sedan ceased in 2012. It is also produced in China by

Changan Mazda Changan Mazda (officially Changan Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd.) is an automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Nanjing, China and a 50:50 joint venture between Changan Automobile and Mazda. The company's principal activity is the manufactu ...

. In international markets, the CX-50 is also marketed in Colombia since December 2022.

Powertrain

The CX-50 is powered by the 2.5-liter

Skyactiv-G Skyactiv (branded as SKYACTIV) is a brand name for a series of automobile technologies developed by Mazda that increase fuel efficiency and engine output. The initial announcement of the Skyactiv technologies included new engines, transmissions, b ...

inline-four A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...

engine offered in its standard naturally-aspirated (''PY-VPS'') form, which produces and of torque, and a turbocharged (''PY-VPTS'') variant that outputs (with 87 AKI octane fuel) or (with 93 AKI octane fuel) and of torque. Additionally, CX-50 will eventually be offered with

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

options sourced from Toyota.

Trim levels

The CX-50 in the United States is available in Base, Select, Preferred, Preferred Plus, Premium, and Premium Plus trims. The turbocharged engine option is reserved for Base (Turbo), Premium, and Premium Plus trims. In addition, Mazda also offers a more rugged "Meridian Edition" trim for the turbocharged model, which adds 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, side rocker garnish, model-specific front hood graphics, and other outdoor-oriented accessories.

Safety

IIHS

2023

The 2023 CX-50 was awarded the "Top Safety Pick +" by the

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collisio ...

. It received overall Good and Superior ratings on all categories except the non-turbo models, which received an Acceptable rating on headlights, as only the turbo models are offered with adaptive headlights.

References

External links

* (United States) {{North American Mazda vehicles CX-50 Cars introduced in 2021 Compact sport utility vehicles Crossover sport utility vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States