- Mazda taps Toyota's hybrid system for its CX-50 crossover
- 219 hp, up to 38 mpg combined
- Prices start from $35,390
Mazda has confirmed it will add a hybrid edition of its popular CX-50 crossover SUV to the lineup for 2025.
Hybrids get a revised front end, an available red leather interior, and new wheels.
Mazda confirms it's adopted Toyota's hybrid system, which pairs a 2.5-liter inline-4 with a battery pack and three electric motors. The system, with an integral hybrid transmission and through-the-road all-wheel drive, produces a net of 219 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque.
Mazda pegs the fuel economy of the CX-50 Hybrid at 38 mpg combined, prior to official EPA confirmation. That's about 40% better than the gas-only CX-50 2.5 S edition currently leading the lineup, and it will allow the CX-50 to face off in the market versus hybrid versions of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, and Ford Escape, among others.
Drive modes enable the CX-50 Hybrid to alter its responses, from a Trail mode for light off-road driving to a Power mode. Mazda rates the hybrid crossover at just 1,500 pounds of tow capacity.
The base $35,390 CX-50 Hybrid Preferred has 17-inch wheels, a 10.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 8-speaker audio, wireless smartphone charging, heated front seats, and a power tailgate.
The $38,820 CX-50 Hybrid Premium model gets that equipment plus black roof rails, leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Bose audio, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.
At the top of the lineup, the $41,470 CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus offers 19-inch wheels, a 6-way power front passenger seat, cooled front seats, and a head-up display.
Mazda has said nothing of a CX-50 PHEV that would mirror the Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid. It's also promoted the idea that long-range EVs aren't the future, and instead sees shorter-range electric vehicles as a more efficient solution.
