A Mazda CX-5 EV could be just what the company needs to keep momentum up in the mid-2020s.
The Mazda CX-5 was without a doubt the most important model for the brand in its post-Ford years. From its introduction in 2012, the CX-5 has been the company’s best selling model worldwide and one that continues to be updated in its 2nd generation.
That being said, not much has really changed with the CX-5 over the years besides one generational change, some minor design tweaks, the addition of a few features and a 2.5L turbo option. What Mazda really needs to keep the CX-5 exciting is an electric option that doesn’t break the bank.
Enter the Mazda Arata concept. This was an EV SUV shown at Auto China 2024 a few days ago and it was made in cooperation with the brand’s Changan-Mazda JV. According to Mazda, the Arata is meant to preview a new mass-produced electrified vehicle for the Chinese market which is due to be launched in 2025.
Looking at the proportions of the Mazda Arata Concept, it’s not a stretch to assume it could be the next CX-5. The design is sleek and elegant with clean lines and interesting creases and folds in the bodywork. The design theme for the car is “SOULFUL + FUTURISTIC x MODERN” while still sticking to the fundamentals of Kodo design. Hence you get a very familiar side profile shape with thick doors, minimal glasshouse and a powerful stance.
Around back, the new ‘cross-wing’ rear combination lamp design features two elements that overlap each other. Up front, you get a closed off grille but a lot of air inlets, which serve as channels to improve aerodynamics and to create a more futuristic aesthetic.
While Mazda has not outwardly said that the Arata Concept is the basis of the next Mazda CX-5 EV, we speculate that it will be, or at least it will form the basis of the next CX-5. What might happen is the Arata spawns a Chinese-exclusive model that is a CX-5 in everything but name, kind of like how Honda created the N:S1 and N:P1 electric China-exclusive models out of the Honda HR-V and e:NY1.
