When the new Mazda CX-5 will debut

A new Mazda CX-5 is coming, and now the company has confirmed when the next generation of the popular mid-sized SUV will be unveiled.

Speaking to South African news outlet Moneyweb, Mazda South Africa managing director Craig Roberts revealed the third-generation CX-5 is due to debut between July and September, before going on sale there in early 2026.

“From a product perspective, the biggest one we are really excited about is the all-new CX-5. CX-5 is probably our biggest volume seller over the last 10 years,” Mr Roberts told Moneyweb.

“And that new CX-5 will debut in the third quarter of this year, and will probably hit our shores in the first quarter of 2026.

Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.

“That is the first product that we are really, really excited about, is that all-new CX-5.”

The timeline outlined by Mr Roberts is the most concrete yet, after Mazda previously said the next CX-5 would launch between 2025 and 2027 globally.

Mazda Australia has previously confirmed we’ll get it – an unsurprising decision given the CX-5 has been its best-seller locally since overtaking the Mazda 3 in 2019.

Last year the Mazda CX-5 was the eighth best-selling new vehicle in Australia, finishing third in the huge mid-sized SUV segment behind the Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander.

The new CX-5 will be the first to offer a hybrid powertrain, developed in-house – rather than the similarly mid-sized CX-50 offered in markets like China and North America which uses a Toyota hybrid system.

It’s possible the CX-5 will also eventually get Mazda’s next-generation Skyactiv-Z powertrain, which replaces the current Skyactiv-G and Skyactiv-X four-cylinder engines.

This promises high thermal efficiency and “super lean burn combustion” over the rev range for better performance and lower emissions.

This engine isn’t due to launch until 2027, and it’s being designed to meet Euro 7 emissions regulations in Europe and LEV4/Tier 4 regulations in the US. It could be crucial to help the CX-5 meet Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).

Last week, Instagram user sapphireallroad shared a single photo of the next-generation CX-5, showcasing its similar profile to the current model, however it appears to be set to adopt a design closer to that of Mazda’s larger CX-60/70/80/90 SUVs.

MORE: Everything Mazda CX-5MORE: 2026 Mazda CX-5 spied: First look at next generation of brand’s top-sellerMORE: Mazda CX–5 replacement edges closer to launch with new hybrid system