2018 Mazda CX-5 Spied: Round Two for One of Our Favorites

What It Is: The next-generation Mazda CX-5, spied wearing some rather psychedelic camouflage and shot near a 7-Eleven selling “classic chicken” sandwiches for $1.99. The CX-5 compact crossover SUV is Mazda’s best-selling model, and the next generation is nearing production.

Looking more evolutionary than anything, the redesigned CX-5 appears to wear an all-new version of Mazda’s five-point grille. While the grilles on Mazda’s new CX-9, updated 3, and 6 have endpoints that flow into the headlights, the new CX-5’s headlights appear to sit atop the grille’s endpoints while also merging with the shape’s upper lip.

Despite having a side-window graphic nearly identical to the current car, the new CX-5 should benefit from a modest growth spurt. While we don’t see the new CX-5 vying for the crown for most available cargo space among compact crossovers, we anticipate the new car will be able to more comfortably fit people and their things within its cabin. That interior, by the way, should share some design cues with the new CX-9’s digs, as well as its full-color head-up display.

Why It Matters: The CX-5 is Mazda’s moneymaker. Its success allows the small Hiroshima company to invest in other vehicles including the MX-5 Miata and in technology such as G-Vectoring Control, not to mention additional efficiency advancements that help the current CX-5 achieve as much as 35 mpg on the highway.

Platform: Expect the new CX-5 to ride on a significantly revised version of its current platform. Given that the CX-5’s driving experience is one of our favorite aspects of the current car, we’d be content to see only mild revisions here.

Powertrain: Mazda is hard at work on its next generation of Skyactiv technology, dubbed Skyactiv 2. Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai recently told Automotive News that the new, more efficient platform and powertrain technology will be introduced in early 2019. Given this, we expect the 2018 CX-5 to launch with improved variants of its current 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines, perhaps offering slightly better fuel economy and a few more horsepower. Front- and all-wheel drive again will be available, and we hope the CX-5 will continue to offer a manual transmission.

Kogai also told AN that the company is not giving up on its plans to bring its Skyactiv-D diesel engine to the United States. Although we’re not anticipating the engine’s arrival any time soon, the next CX-5 could one day house Mazda’s torquey and fuel-efficient diesel under its hood. Meanwhile, the CX-9’s 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder reportedly will fit in the engine bay of the current CX-5—and, presumably, the new one as well—making it a tantalizing possibility for a Mazdaspeed variant.

Competition: Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4.

Estimated Arrival and Price: The current CX-5 recently underwent a facelift, which should carry it through the 2017 model year, marking the new model as a 2018 vehicle. The redesigned CX-5’s starting price is expected to remain close to the current car’s $22,675 cost of entry, with highly optioned models topping out around $35,000. It’s no $1.99 classic chicken sandwich, but the 2018 Mazda CX-5 is likely to remain a solid value at those prices.