When the CX-50 debuted in 2023, there were whispers that Mazda's new compact SUV might replace the perennial best-selling CX-5. But as the arrival of the 2026 CX-5 confirms, that's not the case. In fact, Mazda executives are adamant that the two compact SUVs can live together in perfect harmony.
Speaking with Motor1, Mazda North America's VP of Strategic Planning, Stefan Meisterfeld, says that the CX-5 and CX-50 offer two unique choices for two different types of customers.
"We believe in the coexistence of these two [vehicles] because this is the largest segment in the industry," Meisterfeld notes. "We do see customers who lean more towards the urban, sophisticated direction—which is obviously CX-5. But we also see the more rugged and more adventure-oriented customer in the CX-50."
"We see them coexist perfectly next to each other," Meisterfeld continues. "In fact, I think we have a unique proposition here as one of the very few—if not the only—manufacturer that offers these two different choices in this segment."
It’s hard to disagree. Mazda sold more than 134,000 examples of the CX-5 in 2024, and more than 80,000 CX-50s, putting them first and third on the automaker’s sales chart, respectively. Only the subcompact CX-30 finished better than the CX-50.
This year also marks the first full year of sales for the new CX-50 Hybrid, which combines a Toyota hybrid system with the company’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. As we note in our review, the more efficient CX-50 should only help bolster sales.
Mazda has already confirmed the arrival of a hybrid CX-5 in 2027, but it won't use the same Toyota unit as the CX-50.
"The CX-50, as you know, is built alongside Toyota vehicles in our plant here in the US," Meisterfeld tells us. "The [new CX-5] will be built in Japan, and we believe that the Mazda hybrid system will have unique characteristics that will just fit perfectly for this vehicle."
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 goes on sale toward the end of the year, but we’ll have to wait for official pricing.
