BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi better watch their backs
It is not a secret that Mazda wants to assert itself as a premium alternative to the more established continental car manufacturers. The current-gen Mazda3 and CX-30 duo were sort of a preview of what they are capable of delivering and now the Hiroshima-based automaker wants to push the envelope even further with the CX-50.
As you can already deduce from the main picture above, the CX-50 is a stylish coupe-like crossover and it aims to bring the fight to the BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and Audi Q5 Sportback. While it is not an official image from Mazda, the rendering provides a crystal clear view of how the CX-50 may look like.
We get it, coupe crossovers are not everyone’s cup of tea but in the CX-50’s case, the highly praised Kodo design language fits perfectly with the body style. The slim, frameless grille blends well with the slender headlights to create a somewhat angry face, while the sleek roofline, along with the sharp creases on the hood and body, contributes nicely to the sporty profile of this crossover.
Like the CX-30, plastic claddings are utilised to embellish the bottom half of the vehicle but thankfully they are not as thick. The gap between the tyres and wheel arches seems a little big here but we reckon this is nothing more than a common trait of an urban crossover.
On the technical side of things, the CX-50 will reportedly be built on a new rear wheel-drive platform called the Large Architecture. Under the hood, you can expect Mazda’s newly developed 3.0-litre inline-six engine, which could possibly come with one or two turbochargers. A diesel and a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, as well as an AWD version are also on the cards.
The CX-50 could make its debut as early as November this year at the 2021 LA Auto Show. What do you think of the design?