Mazda CX/MX range discussion

[Eunos_Cosmo]

MX-30 with rotary range extender confirmed for North America in 2022.

Pretty stoked on this. I'm not fully onboard full-electric yet (though, closer than I've ever been) so these REX EVs are the most appealing to me. I think the rotary engine can give them a genuine USP in this segment, and not just for the wanklers...I'm thinking of the BMW i3 REX which was criticized for it's unrefined APU unit. By comparison, the Wankel should be almost completely invisible when in operation, not to mention utterly tiny.

 

[05XR8]

What the what?

Mazda shelves plans to introduce rotary-powered driving range extender

Return of the Wankel put on hold

www.whichcar.com.au

Now I see why Mazda are partners with Polyphony Digital. Yeesh.

 

[FT-1]

Mazda CX-5 Facelift leaked:

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I'm not a fan of the new headlights. I quite like the current version of the CX5. Also, I hope this doesn't mean the next generation RWD 6-cylinder CX5 is getting delayed and this is a stop gap

 

[05XR8]

Guess those will be the signature "C"RLs.

 

[Keef]

Uh oh. It's happening.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Mazda Confirms 5 New SUVs For 2022 And 2023, Including US-Only CX-50 | Carscoops

The new range of SUVs will get two body types (narrow/wide) and two seating layouts (two/three rows)

www.carscoops.com

5 new SUVs will be released in 2022 and 2023.

Starting with the CX-50, it will be a part of the Small Product group, sharing its platform with the Mazda3 and the CX-30. It will available solely in the US market with production starting in January 2022 at the Mazda-Toyota joint venture factory in Huntsville, Alabama. Despite earlier rumors, the CX-50 will not be a successor to the recently facelifted CX-5, but an additional core model for the brand’s lineup.

The rest of the SUVs that were announced belong to the Large Products group, which means they will be based on Mazda’s new platform. Mazda mentioned a wide price range above the CX-5/CX-50, two body types (narrow/wide), and two seating layouts (two/three rows).

More specifically, the two-row CX-60 and the three-row CX-80 were designed for the narrow roads of Europe and Japan. On the contrary, the wide-bodied two-row CX-70 and the three-row CX-90 are destined for North America and other markets “where larger models with a big presence are preferred”. Given the timing of its market launch, the CX-90 flagship could work as a direct replacement for the CX-9 which was first introduced in 2015.

Mazda will be electrifying its whole range by 2030, so the new range of SUVs coming in 2022 and 2023 will offer some kind of hybrid system. The CX-60 and CX-80 will have plug-in hybrid powertrains with four-cylinder gasoline engines. They will also get the new generation of straight-six Skyactiv-X (petrol) and Skyactive-D (diesel) engines fitted with 48V mild-hybrid systems.

The CX-70 and CX-90 will be offered with turbocharged six-cylinder gasoline engines and as plug-in hybrids. Finally, in Japan, Mazda will offer the mild-hybrid six-cylinder Skyactive-D diesel, plus plug-in hybrid variants.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Mazda has bet the farm on this platform. I admire that.

 

[Keef]

I'm betting that the CX-60 and CX-80 will be coupe-like crossovers. That would make sense given Mazda's athletic marketing and hybrid efficiency.

Apparently back in September I said "it's happening" because I assumed Mazda had started going down the wrong design path with this CX-5 facelift. I'm not sure. It looks good, I just really liked that wide samurai sword.

 

[c172fccc]

Mazda CX-50 to be revealed soon.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Oh my, those are some hips.

 

[05XR8]

Hope those hips trickle down to the CX-3.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Hope those hips trickle down to the RX-7.

FTFY.

 

[Keef]

I'm pretty curious how they're going to combine those "hips" with the current design language. I clearly see a U-staped stamped crease in the metal...Mazda's current language features a total absence of creases. The RX-V has a total absence of creases.

I'm absolutely in love with Mazda's current design language and I hoped it was going the way of the RX-V and Vision sedan. They're by far the prettiest cars on the road today. It was bold of them to actually eliminate surface graphics in an era where most cars are completely overstyled. What I'm seeing in that pic above just looks like things I've seen before. I don't like it. Defining a fender flare with a crease is not unique.

 

[05XR8]

Maybe they’re bringing back the FC, 944, Audi and BMW fender flares of the ur-Quattro and M3. I think the new A3 has wider fenders but not exactly like the ‘80s style fenders. That Mazda pic looks very close to ‘80s style.

edit: and speaking of the refreshed-mazda-cx-3-range-here-next-month no change.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'm pretty curious how they're going to combine those "hips" with the current design language. I clearly see a U-staped stamped crease in the metal...Mazda's current language features a total absence of creases. The RX-V has a total absence of creases.

I'm absolutely in love with Mazda's current design language and I hoped it was going the way of the RX-V and Vision sedan. They're by far the prettiest cars on the road today. It was bold of them to actually eliminate surface graphics in an era where most cars are completely overstyled. What I'm seeing in that pic above just looks like things I've seen before. I don't like it. Defining a fender flare with a crease is not unique.

Trust in Mazda, @Keef , trust in Mazda. I'm almost certain this is going to look fantastic, and I'm not sure I would qualify what we are seeing as a crease, per say...at least not in the way Toyota or Audi do their surface treatments. I'd call it more of a surface bunch...which actually does exist on the hood of the Mazda3. Mazda's designers are really doing some cool stuff with surfaces without resorting to the beaten to death tropes of folds and what I would characterize as phenomenal overlapping discontinuities (I'm co-opting a co-opted cubist term here) - the worst example of this is the base model Corolla sedan's front jowels which attempt to appear to disconnect from and then fold through the front fascia - but it's all fake. It's fake on most supercars, it's really really fake on the Corolla because production realities mean that it's all just one god-awful blob of injection molded plastic regardless of whatever cool complex surfacing modeling software was used to create the forms.

Every time I see those stupid jowels I get triggered. You're not fooling anyone Toyota! Just clean this **** up, it doesn't have to look like a compact hypercar.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Here it is. It's actually still on the transverse platform of the CX-5 which it will be sold alongside for the time being. The FR platform cars are coming next year.

Personally, I think it looks great. It's a little more athletic than the CX-5 which I always thought looked a little sharp, but maybe a touch too tall for it's width. This has a more horizontal feel looking straight on and looks a little more purposeful.

 

[05XR8]

Yep! Exactly what I thought. X5 hunter.
Think I see Nana CX-5s heading to the dealerships for trade-ins. See? There goes one now.

 

[Blitz24]

Hope those hips trickle down to the CX-3.

CX-3 is dead though.

 

[05XR8]

CX-3 is dead though.

I still see them for sale.

 

[Blitz24]

I still see them for sale.

CX-30 has replaced it in America as it was discontinued for 2022. The 2021 model is the final one in the States.

 

[05XR8]

Alrighty then. No CX-50 here, but the new platform CX-60.

Mazda CX-50: Australia an outside chance, still no timing for right-hand-drive

Rugged CX-50 is on Australia's wish list if production opens up outside of North America

www.whichcar.com.au

 

[Keef]

Absolutely did not expect that.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Mazda CX-60

2023 Mazda CX-60 Spied With Quad But Fake Exhaust

Mazda has been spied in Germany putting the finishing touches on the CX-60, a larger SUV riding on a RWD platform with a PHEV setup and over 300 hp.

www.motor1.com

It's on the new RWD and longitudinal drivetrain. This is likely the PHEV version with 300+ horsepower from a 2.5L 4-cylidner engine. This is the EU version of the car. The US version will be wider and be called CX-70. The CX-60 will debut on March 8th

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Looks like they gave it a nasty hood shutline like they've been doing recently with other models. I wish I could figure out why companies keep doing this. Perhaps its a way that they can design the front so that:

1. Meets pedestrian safety criteria
2. Meets crash safety (particularly small overlap) criteria
2. Allows the entire front of the car to be facelifted without altering reason #1 & 2
3. Allows #3 in the most cost effective way

It's probably a host of reasons but I genuinely hate this move and it triggers my designer sense every time I see it. The way the corner of the hood/bonnet intersects the headlight at an arbitrary point & angle and the resulting slab of plastic outboard of the hoodline is just 🤮🤢💩

 

[Keef]

This thing isn't coming to America is it? Because it's pretty ugly. Not a fan of the face and headlights at all.

I'm not too happy with Mazda's next generation of cars. I feel like they've peaked with the current 3, CX-30, CX-5, CX-9, RX-Vision and Vision Coupe sedan. I'm not happy that they're getting rid of the samurai swords and headlights that blend into the grille. The piercing cat eyes are the prettiest things on the road and have been for years.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Well here's the CX-60. I'm not a huge fan of the design to be honest, but it could grow on me.

 

[Keef]

It will probably grow on me but for now I think the exterior is hideous. That chrome thingy on the front fender especially looks completely fake and tacked on. Wow, I'm really surprised this is what they've come up with after such a fantastic prior generation of design. White is absolutely not helping this car in any way, making it look tall and thick. Gross. The current CX-5 is better than this in every way.

The interior looks really nice though.

Edit: Guhhh, how they've managed to make this thing look so slab-sided I have no idea. The white ain't helping. It looks completely flat and vertical on the side, like a piece of granite lol.

No bueno. The door cut lines and side sill look mathematically square lmao, like I'm reading a map or something. What on earth have they done? There is nothing organic or flowing or emotional about this at all.

Edit: Oh thank god this thing isn't coming to the US.

To be fair, I think the lack of contouring is mostly due to the paint color and body-color trim. For example here's the new CX-5 in all white:

Equally miserable and flat. But here's the CX-5 in metallic red with black trim:

It looks like a completely different car. And compare them all to the CX-50:

I thought this was weird at first but have gotten behind the well-textured and wide, low, long design. I was expecting Mazda's rear-drive era to have this type of feel, not that of the CX-60.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

The CX-50 is far better looking than the CX-60. Hopefully the US model (CX-70) will have a different design. It's like Mazda was trying to replicate a Volvo but ran out of design fee or something. It just looks like a poor execution.