Hopes dashed.
Japanese carmaker Mazda has finally given us a real teaser of their “new-generation” CX-8 SUV, that will do battle exclusively in its home market of Japan. The CX-8 will sit in place of the CX-9 that we’re all familiar within the Japanese market, because the brands’ flagship SUV that we know isn’t actually sold in the Japanese market.
In any case, there was strong indication that the CX-8 would carry styling details and possibly even a roofline similar to the Koeru concept from 2015. And when it was made public that Mazda was looking into a three-row SUV to slot between the CX-5 and CX-9, critics and onlookers were hopeful that it would translate into a coupé-ish SUV that is presently all the rage.
*Pictured clockwise from left: Koeru concept car, teased CX-8, current CX-9
Considering that Mazda’s current lineup of cars are all lookers in their own right (to varying degrees, of course), the idea of a Koeru-inspired SUV had us seeing something with a dramatic roofline and athletic proportions (like the China-only CX-4) that would make it to more than just one market. With today’s teaser however, those dreams have been quashed.
Frankly, we’re unsure as to what we’re looking at, as the sole profile shot appears to show a CX-5 front end and a CX-9 rear. And aside from the differently-shaped quarterlights (the window between the C- and D-pillars), we can’t really see much differentiation between this and the CX-9 it’s standing in for. Side-by-side, the cars are remarkably similar in presentation, so we’re wondering if maybe the marketing guys in Hiroshima who decided to bill this a “first new-generation” model were granted a bit too much creative license.
In any case, the teaser did come with confirmation of the drivetrain. The CX-8 will be powered by a SkyActiv-D 2.2-litre turbodiesel, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. It’s still unclear if it’ll be offered with all-wheel drive or just front-wheel drive, but we do know that it’ll come with 6- and 7-seater configurations.
The CX-8 is being billed as an exclusive model for Japan, though we’ve covered comments from Mazda Australia that indicates that they may lobby to introduce the model. That said, now that we have a better look at it, maybe we don’t need a CX-8 at all.
It’s okay Japan, you can keep it.
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