Mazda showed off its 2026 CX-5, with more room inside but the same engine and drivetrain, at least so far. A hybrid is slated for 2027.
The CX-5 is Mazda's biggest seller, moving around 150,000 units a year but trending downward since 2021.
On-sale date is early 2026, no pricing information yet.

Mazda has been selling around 150,000 CX-5s a year for quite a while. That’s roughly half of its US sales. It is the Hiroshima equivalent of a golden goose, although sales have been trending downward since 2021. So when it came time to redesign the compact crossover SUV for 2026 the dictum was clear: Don’t screw it up!

The details we have so far on the model suggest it’ll get a refresh and not much more, although Mazda calls the 2026 CX-5 “all-new.”

It will be powered by the same base-model naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making one more hp at 187 ponies and one fewer lb-ft of torque at 185. That engine will be paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and standard i-Activ AWD, Mazda says.

There was no mention of the upscale, more powerful 2.5-liter turbo that is currently offered by Mazda; the turbo-four on the current model makes 256 hp and a mighty 320 lb-ft of torque on premium unleaded.

Mazda did say there will be a hybrid coming in 2027 but gave no further info on that. Will the hybrid replace the more powerful engine choice currently available? We wait for answers.

Mazda did point out the new model’s redesigned exterior, reminding us that it’s “Kodo Design” we’re looking at, in its latest evolution. It’s hard to describe design in words, but Mazda tried:

CX-5 gets a freshened rear end for 2026.

“The design approach behind the all-new CX-5 was developed around our ‘Wearable Gear’ concept, which is inspired by functional yet stylish clothing that has the right look and fit in a variety of situations,” Mazda said.

The latest evolution of Kodo design “…works off a familiar silhouette that clearly communicates that this is a CX-5, while also optimizing proportions to create a more spacious cabin and exterior look that telegraphs the vehicles’ capabilities and sense of stability.”

That’s the exterior. Like it?

Specifically, the front end is “chiseled” and features the Mazda winged grille, while on the rear end you’ll find more angular lighting that ties the CX-5 to others in the company’s lineup, like the CX-70 and CX-90.

More room and more Google inside the 2026 CX-5

The 2026 CX-5 is also 4.5 inches longer, with a three-inch-longer wheelbase, and it’s nearly an inch wider.

That means new, larger door openings and increased rear leg- knee-, and headroom, with a notably larger and more useful cargo area.

There’s more tech inside, too, starting with an optional 15.6-inch touchscreen display for Google built-in technology like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play Store.

Door openings are larger on the 2026 model.

Introduced in 2012 as a replacement for the Mazda Tribute, then redesigned in 2017, the CX-5 now enters its third generation with the 2026 model, due in showrooms early next year.

The CX-5 was the first Mazda to get all of the so-called Sky-Active technology, basically highly efficient systems that gave the CX-5 a technological advantage over some if not most competitors.

But if there are no new engines and no discussion—as of yet, anyway—about suspension, steering, and braking improvements, it sounds more like a mid-cycle facelift than a major remake.

Would you buy a CX-5? Let us know below.