We live in an automotive landscape littered with SUVs and crossovers, often with so many permutations that telling them apart has become quite difficult. And on this brave frontier, some manufacturers - such as Mazda - have fully embraced the shift, at times at the expense of more established categories such as hatches and sedans.
With a range that you’d think covers every facet of the SUV/crossover buying populace starting with the CX-3 and continuing with the larger CX-5 and larger-still CX-9, the Mazda selection seems healthy and broad.
Apparently, the Hiroshima-based automaker thinks there’s room for at least one more. According to Motoring, Mazda’s thoughts on the matter were communicated at the LA Motor Show by Masahiro Moro, head of Mazda North America, who said that a new SUV was in the works under the internal moniker ‘CX-X’.
This mystery product will be the first new model developed and built at the new factory in the United States, established as part of the joint venture between Mazda and Toyota, and marking a $2 billion dollar expense on its own. Seeing as how this new SUV will not follow the traditional route to showrooms internationally, there’s good reason to believe that availability of the CX-X will be limited to North America and other select markets.
Mazda has a history of launching region-specific cars, with the more coupe-like CX-4 and CX-8 seven-seater being aimed at the Chinese and Japanese Domestic Market respectively. Meanwhile, there’s also the possibility that this new Mazda will also find its way into Toyota showrooms as well, following a co-development agreement that’s broadly similar to their alliance with Subaru to create the twins 86 and BRZ.
More recently, Toyota and BMW have been working together to simultaneously develop a sports car that will yield us an all-new Supra and from BMW, the next-generation Z4 roadster. From Motoring’s dialogue with the North American head, Mazda seems keen on offering this future SUV to Australian buyers if the business case can be made for a fourth entrant into the local arsenal.
For more on Mazda cars, check out our Showroom.
