Global: Mazda Joins the Off-Road Market with the CX-50 Crossover
Updated: Jun 20, 2022
The company aims to capitalize on the demand for crossovers and off-road lifestyle.
Gone are the days when Mazda’s mid-size crossovers catered to soft city boys. Don’t get me wrong, the recent models of Mazda were respectable and made logical business sense. The CX line-up, after all, was responsible for the company's resurgence in popularity, thanks to the rising middle class' appreciation for aesthetics.
But it’s time to move forward to a more challenging terrain—enter the CX-50, Mazda's off-road crossover.
The new model was reported to have engine options of a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four and a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four, expected to deliver output between 187-250HP. Both engines will be paired with six-speed automatic transmissions.
The exterior is decked with rugged outdoor accents. Its front grille is painted in flat black, extending to pieces that appeared like eyelids of its LED headlights. Side panels are bolted with flat black cladding complete with overfenders, emphasizing the height of the car and its off-road wheels to match.
The interior however, is rather tame offering an opposite ambiance to the rugged features of the car’s exterior. Brown leather seats with arm rests and clean lines trimmed with a minimalist center console.
Joining this competition is a relatively bold move for Mazda, considering that the Japanese manufacturer has been relatively known as a conservative manufacturer, catering to a more niche market. But it’s not entirely surprising for the company to enter the off-road CX scene as the market trend for this segment has been on a steady rise.
The Mazda CX-50 will be competing head-to-head with other manufacturers focusing on this segment. With the likes of Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road, Subaru’s Wilderness models, as well as the Jeep Wrangler’s revival and Suzuki Jimny’s comeback, there’s plenty of small to medium size off-road vehicles for consumers to choose from.
Article by: PAULO CUENTO
December 06, 2021