2 days ago
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A camouflaged example of what appears to be the next-generation Mazda CX-5 has been spied in the United States before its reveal before the end of the year.
Family Cars
The next-generation 2026 Mazda CX-5 mid-size SUV has been caught on camera for the first time.
An image shared by Instagram user @sapphireallroad to spy photographer KindelAuto appears to show the upcoming third-generation version of Mazda’s best-selling vehicle testing in California – where Mazda’s North American division is headquartered.
While the angle and quality of the single image make it difficult to get a good look at the new CX-5, it appears to have a familiar look to the current model – but with a stretched body, inheriting a rear design similar to the CX-90 and Mazda 3 hatch.
In addition, the grille appears narrower than the current model with guidance from the more rugged CX-50, a left-hand-drive-only SUV slotted above the CX-5 in Mazda’s global line-up.
If history is a guide, previous new-generation Mazda vehicles have not been spied for the first time until close to their world premieres – from six months for the CX-90 and CX-50, to less than a month for the current Mazda 3 – indicating the new CX-5 could be unveiled by the middle of the year.
While it might look similar – if the spied example represents the final production model – the next-generation CX-5 is expected to be an all-new car with Small Platform underpinnings derived from the current Mazda 3, CX-30 and CX-50.
Mazda confirmed last May the model would add a full-hybrid system using technology developed in-house – not the Toyota RAV4-derived hybrid system found in the CX-50 – and retain the CX-5 name rather than switching to CX-40 or another badge.
A full-hybrid powertrain in the CX-5 will finally give the brand a rival to the top-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid globally – including Australia, where 95.2 per cent of the 58,718 RAV4s sold in 2024 were electrified, with the model now offered exclusively as a hybrid.
The CX-5’s length will reportedly grow 110 millimetres over the current model to 4685mm, which would see it leapfrog most of its rivals to become one of the largest mid-size SUVs with a similar length to a Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-Trail.
The CX-5 is Mazda’s biggest seller globally, followed by the CX-30 and Mazda 3.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
