2 days ago
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CX-5 buyers still expected to flock towards Mazda family SUV despite a new-generation model arriving in around 12 months, according to the brand.
Family Cars
Mazda Australia believes the changeover period between the current second-generation CX-5 family SUV to the all-new model due in the second half of next year will not have much of an impact on its bottom line.
Speaking to Drive, Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi said now the new car has been revealed, the current car might even attract more buyers to the existing CX-5 that is still offered with a turbocharged engine and more in-cabin buttons.
“If I look at when we showcase a new model [in the past], and we go to run-out phase, it probably brings a different type of customer to the market,” Bhindi said.
“The ones who always wanted one and were holding back, and then now's the time.
“Maybe if there were any customers waiting on the turbo, now would be the time, for example.
“So now, in our experience, that [a sales dip] doesn't happen.
“But when you look at CX-5 sales, even in this latter part of its model cycle, it's quite strong, and it's still towards the top in in the segment.”
The CX-5, from its first full year on sale in 2013, became the best-selling SUV in Australia until 2020 after the arrival of the fifth-generation RAV4 with hybrid powertrain options.
Mazda’s family SUV remains a consistently top seller for the brand, and is a Top 10 mainstay in monthly sales data, at least until July’s figures were released earlier this week.
Last month – the same month the new-generation CX-5 was revealed – Mazda Australia sold 1821 units of the CX-5, relegating it to 11th place overall and behind the Toyota RAV4 (4415) and Hyundai Tucson (1914) in its class.
Year-to-date however, CX-5 sales have remained fairly steady, dropping just one per cent to 13,812 units after seven months of trade.
The CX-5 also remains the brand’s most popular model, ahead of the CX-3 (9514), BT-50 (8976), and CX-30 (7466), and is crucial for Mazda to hit its annual sales target of around 100,000 units.
Mazda has also recently introduced the final update to the existing second-generation CX-5 with standard equipment revisions, but also an increase in price of $500 for the turbo-petrol variants.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
