Mazda CX-5 Hybrid is just the beginning as brand vows to “get hybrids through everything”

July 18, 2025August 22, 2025 Andrew Chesterton 7808 Views cx-5, mazda

The all-new and in-house hybrid engine Mazda is developing for the CX-5 will spark a wave of hybridisation at the brand, with the new electrified powertrain to power more models in the Mazda family.

While it’s understood the CX-Zero range (the CX-60 and up) with longitudinal powertrain set-ups will score a unique hybrid solution, the CX-5’s powertrain will find its way into other models in the more mainstream Mazda range that uses a transverse front- and all-wheel drive layout.

First on the list would be the Mazda CX-30, which already shares a 2.5-litre engine with the CX-5, and so could nab its new hybrid solution, too.

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“We want to get hybrids through everything,” says Daniel Wakelam, Mazda Australia’s new National Manager Product and Business Strategy.

“(There are) no plans at this stage, but I think the idea would be that (CX-5) hybrid across other cars. There are other hybrid options as well, but we’d like to see it in the CX-30 and other cars as well.

“It will take time to get them to filter through. It takes time for the R&D, especially with the size of Mazda.”

But there is a catch. We now know Mazda’s hybrid solution isn’t quite as close as we thought. While the new CX-5 is set to arrive next year, it will be a petrol-power-only proposition at launch. The long-promised, and still mysterious, hybrid, won’t arrive until 2027 at the earliest.

It can’t come too soon because Mazda has dropped both the entry-level 2.0-litre engine from its next-gen CX-5 line-up and the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol performance engine as well.

That leaves only a slightly detuned version of the current 2.5-litre engine to hold the fort until the hybrid shows up.

A quicker option would have been to broaden the brand’s relationship with Toyota, given the closely related CX-50 in the USA is powered by Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid powertrain. Mazda, though, has promised its in-house solution will be worth the wait.

“Mazda engineers are proud and they want to have their version of hybrid,” Mazda Australia MD, Vinesh Bhindi, says.

“My understanding, it will be totally Mazda, it will be designed in a way that delivers what Mazda wants it to deliver, the … Zoom-Zoom element.”

Bhindi’s hints were more baldly stated by Stefan Meisterfeld, VP of Strategic Planning for Mazda North American Operations:

“The hybrid system will have performance that is comparable to or exceeding the turbo powertrain,” he told US outlet CarBuzz.

Sounds promising and not only for the CX-5!

Andrew Chesterton

Andrew began his career as a journalist at Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, before he was lured into the fast-paced world of supercars at TopGear Australia. He has also held senior roles at The Daily Mail, which involved spending time at HQ in London, and on the other side of the automotive divide with FCA Australia. As one of Australia's best-read freelance writers, Andrew now contributes to Robb Report, Wish in The Australian, Domain in The Australian Financial Review, CarsGuide, Wheels, The West Australian, GQ, Men's Health and more. His love for writing has carried him around the world and back again, writing for clients in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the USA. He secretly enjoys it so much he’d probably do it for free, but he hopes his editors never find out that bit...