Mazda has long been known as the “Japanese BMW” for its excellent power and good handling. In the past, Mazda has been seen as young and self-centered, but now, facing declining sales, Mazda has had to make changes. The new Mazda CX-50 has made some new attempts in design and naming, giving people a refreshing feeling.
Advantages and disadvantages at a glance Advantages: 1. Larger body size compared to similar models 2. Offers both fuel and hybrid power options Disadvantages: 1. Priced on the high side 2. Fuel version lacks four-wheel drive In the past, Mazda’s car models were named after the phonetic translation of their overseas English names. This time, Mazda has given the CX-50 a meaningful Chinese name – “Xingye”. And this time, Mazda officials personally played with the word “traffic jam”, directly opening up the situation.
Talking about the car itself, the Mazda CX-50 continues to use Mazda’s family “KODO” design language, with a wing-shaped front face connected to the LED lights on both sides, and the blackened front grille looks more wild. The new car is also equipped with an active intake grille. At the same time, the new car also adds two new colors, zircon sand and tranquil blue, for consumers to choose from.
The CX-50 is positioned as a “mountain life wide-body SUV,” so it also uses wide and thick PC material at the wheel arches, giving it a more dynamic look. Depending on the version, the wheels are available in 17-inch and 19-inch sizes for consumers to choose from. The rear end does not use the common through-type taillights, but instead features protruding taillights, giving the shape a full and round appearance, adding some detail to the originally simple rear end, making it more three-dimensional.
The length, width, and height are 4785/1920/1638mm, with a wheelbase of 2815mm, giving it a size advantage in its class. The body size is larger than the previous CX-5 and even surpasses the neighboring Toyota RAV4. In the domestic version, the body has been lengthened by 66mm while keeping the wheelbase unchanged, allowing for a more comfortable seating space for rear passengers with the rear seats moved back by 55mm.
The trunk space performance is also commendable, with a depth of about 1 meter and the rear seats supporting a 4/6 fold-down ratio, which can reach a depth of about 1.9 meters when folded down, almost presenting a completely flat state. What’s even more thoughtful is that there are one-touch folding handles on both sides of the trunk, so users don’t need to fold down from the back of the second-row seats, making it more convenient to operate.
In terms of interior, the majority of the car is wrapped in leather fabric, with stitching on the surface. Mazda still insists on its unique idea, not following the trend of using a large display screen. The instrument panel uses a combination of central LCD screen and mechanical, making the readings clear and direct, but lacking a sense of technology.
The central control uses a 10.25-inch small screen, although the screen is small, the layout is clear and concise, and the basic functions are also available, such as mobile phone interconnection mapping, car networking, OTA upgrade and other common configurations. The car also retains a large number of physical buttons and knobs, which is still good. In terms of configuration, the CX-50 is equipped with L2 level driving assistance as standard across the range, with 7 airbags as standard. At the same time, depending on the configuration, it is also equipped with HUD head-up display, panoramic sunroof, seat heating, BOSE sound system and other functional equipment.
In the powertrain section, the CX-50 offers the option of 2.0L and 2.5L power. The 2.0L engine has a maximum power of 155 horsepower, peak torque of 200 Nm, and official WLTC fuel consumption of 7.2L; the 2.5L engine has a maximum power of 188 horsepower, peak torque of 250 Nm, and WLTC fuel consumption as low as 7.35L, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The difference in fuel consumption between the two is not significant. The reason is that the 2.5L engine uses intelligent cylinder deactivation technology, automatically reducing horsepower output during constant speed driving, leaving only two cylinders to drive, thus achieving energy saving effect. The CX-50 uses a full-speed range lock-up gearbox, which can achieve rapid gear shifting in 0.15 seconds. In addition, Mazda has also introduced a hybrid four-wheel drive version, further enhancing power performance to meet different consumer needs. However, it is worth mentioning that the fuel version does not offer four-wheel drive, only the hybrid version does.
Although the Mazda CX-50’s intelligence is slightly inferior and its sales are not optimistic compared to the new forces now, its handling, engine technology, and driving pleasure still have excellent performance. It is difficult for an elephant to turn around, but Mazda has always been striving to innovate and bring more surprises to its consumers who love it.