Mazda is already making the most of its new partnership with Toyota. As the first vehicle built in the US at the joint Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama, the 2022 Mazda CX-50 hits the market next year with rugged styling, a handsome interior, and two available engine options.
Powering the base CX-50 is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, while the turbocharged 2.5-liter option is available. Power figures will be revealed at a later date. Both of these engines come paired to a basic six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Mazda says that a hybrid model and more electrified versions of the CX-50 will be available down the line.
The standard i-Activ all-wheel-drive system features a drive mode select feature – or what Mazda calls Mi-Drive – that users can adjust depending on road conditions. Mazda lists specific drive modes like Normal, Sport, and Off-Road, but also says that you can use the Mi-Drive switch for towing and more.
The exterior of the CX-50 maintains the brand’s signature “Kodo” design language, but with a fun outdoor flair. Typical of an adventure vehicle, there’s black plastic cladding on the wheel arches and fascias, with high-strength roof rails up high for added versatility. The grille also gains thicker black accents and larger vents live on either side of the bumper. And now buyers can select a sharp-looking Zircon Sand exterior paint job to go with those rugged good looks.
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Inside, the CX-50 keeps Mazda’s signature driver-focused layout intact, complete with high-end materials and fixtures. Here though, the seats wear a unique “modern outdoor” aesthetic that you won’t find elsewhere in the lineup, featuring an available Terracotta interior color and a panoramic moonroof. Mazda also tweaked the storage compartments to better fit the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, additional cubbies compartments throughout.
Mazda hasn’t released pricing information for the CX-50 yet, but production of the ruggedized crossover begins early in 2022, and the vehicle should go on sale sometime later next year.