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Mazda North America boss has reportedly confirmed the next-generation CX-5 will be offered with electric power, along with an in-house petrol-electric hybrid system, to rival the Tesla Model Y and Toyota RAV4.
Electric Cars
The next-generation 2026 Mazda CX-5 family SUV will be offered with electric power, an executive has reportedly confirmed.
Tom Donnelly, the chief executive officer of Mazda's North American operations, told U.S. News the imminent third-generation version of Mazda's best-selling vehicle – the CX-5 – will include an electric drivetrain to join the previously-confirmed in-house full-hybrid system coming to the new model.
It will see the CX-5 double down on electrification to rival the electric Tesla Model Y and the hybrid Toyota RAV4 – the world's most popular mid-size family SUVs – with the current model limited to 24-volt mild-hybrid systems in some markets.
The executive confirmed the new CX-5 – the first new-generation model in eight years – would make its global debut "in the next few months", aligning with a recent comment from his South African counterpart who said it would be unveiled between July and September 2025.
"I can’t give you exact specifics on [Mazda's in-house hybrid system], but in the next few months, you’ll see the global debut of our next-generation CX-5, and it’ll debut in that vehicle," Donnelly said.
"We did over 100,000 units on [the] CX-5 last year, and it just keeps on keepin’ on. And as you know, we’re launching a new one soon. We expect that momentum will continue," he added, referring to the United States new-car market.
These comments confirm the CX-5 name will be retained – after Mazda said last May it has "a plan to equip next CX-5 with a Mazda-developed hybrid engine" in a financial report – rather than switching to a new name, such as CX-40 to slot between the existing CX-30 and CX-50.
The electric CX-5 is likely to appear at a later date, following the expected launch of standard petrol and hybrid models by the end of this year – with Mazda currently working on a separate electric mid-size SUV for some markets, in addition to the electric CX-5.
This Chinese-built model – likely to be called EZ-60 in China and CX-6e elsewhere – was previewed by the Mazda Arata concept at the 2024 Beijing motor show, and will be a sibling to the Mazda 6e sedan and Deepal vehicles under the brand's joint venture with Changan Automotive in China.
It is unclear whether the electric CX-5 would share its underpinnings with the soon-to-be-revealed combustion-engined model – widely tipped to move to the 'Small Platform' used for the Mazda 3, CX-30 and CX-50 – or if it will debut its 'SkyActiv Scalable EV Architecture', which is expected to appear in 2027.
An electric application of the Small Platform has been used for the MX-30 EV small SUV, but it has been discontinued in key markets – including Australia and the United States – following poor sales, a high price, and a short driving range.
In late 2023, Donnelly told Automotive News the brand would launch a battery-electric SUV in the United States with an existing nameplate – which is now confirmed to be the CX-5 – after it discontinued the MX-30, leaving it without an electric vehicle.
In addition to the future electric version, the CX-5 is likely to retain its familiar 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, while there has been no news on whether the current 2.0-litre non-turbo and 2.5-litre turbocharged options will continue into the new-generation.
Meanwhile, the arrival of a parallel-hybrid powertrain developed internally will finally give Mazda a rival to the Toyota RAV4, along with the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan X-Trail, and Honda CR-V which all offer full-hybrid powertrains.
Petrol and hybrid versions of the new CX-5 are expected to arrive in local Mazda showrooms by the end of 2025 or at the very start of 2026.
More details about the 2026 Mazda CX-5 will be confirmed when it makes its global debut in the coming months.
Electric Cars Guide
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.
