One of Australia’s two best-selling mid-sized SUVs, the Mazda CX-5, is reportedly slated for a facelift.
Japanese outlet Creative Trend reports the updated CX-5 will be introduced in Japan in December 2021, with orders for the current model having been suspended at the end of August.
It’s said to feature an updated front-end with reshaped headlights and a larger grille.
Mazda will also reportedly offer new appearance packages: one an off-road oriented one with all-season tyres, the other a sporty one with a black grille.
There are also said to be some tweaks to the suspension and the structure.
Creative Trend reports the punchy turbocharged 2.5-litre engine will be dropped from the Japanese-market model and the base naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre will gain an all-wheel drive option.
Cruising and Traffic Support, as seen on the Mazda 3 and CX-30, will reportedly be added. This helps keep you a safe distance from the car in front and keeps you centred in your lane.
A new paint colour, Zircon Sand Metallic, will also be added.
First launched in 2017, an update would give the CX-5 more ammunition to fight strong rivals in Australia’s most competitive segment.
The company has released a number of updates to its core models in Japan recently, most of which have made the trip to Australia in some form.
With that in mind, it’s likely any CX-5 update would make it Down Under, although it’s not clear what that will look like.
Mazda could also opt to sell the current CX-5 alongside the new rear/all-wheel drive CX-50 we’re expecting in 2022, given it’s taken a similar approach with the CX-3 and CX-30.
Mazda Australia’s managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, has previously confirmed there’s a new mid-sized SUV coming with a dramatically different drivetrain.
“[For] CX-5 and above on the large platform, inline six will be an option, and rear-wheel drive,” Mr Bhindi said.
“So, those things are going to be available to us where it fits in. We just have to see when the final product is signed off”.
A recent report by BestCarWeb indicated the new CX-5 would enter production in December 2022, offering both petrol and diesel inline-six engines.
Before then, a redesigned Mazda 6 on the new Large Architecture will reportedly enter production in March 2022.
Pictured: 2022 Mazda CX-5/CX-50 prototype 
Displacing 3.0 or 3.3 litres, the new inline-six petrol and diesel engines will be available with 48V mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology.
The Japanese outlet also reported the new mid-sized SUV could be sold alongside the existing CX-5, and could offer four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines at the entry level.
Suppliers have told Nikkei Asia production of the new models will ramp up to 300,000 units during the fiscal year ending in March 2025, or just under a fifth of Mazda’s global sales.
When asked earlier this year if the next-generation Large Architecture products would be gunning for established luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Mr Bhindi said the product strategy will stay true to the brand’s philosophy of offering premium products that also focus on value and the driver.
“It is our plan to offer products that are classified as premium or seen as premium, but the value equation still needs to exit,” he said.
“In Australia, there’s a clear luxury territory where the pricing reflects that, but that’s not where we are going to be. We are more about offering options but pushing towards the premium.”
