- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He Fr
Mazda CX-8 SUV. Japanese flagship
The Mazda CX-8 is a mid-size SUV that has been produced by Mazda Motor since September 2017. The marketers of the glorious Japanese company probably thought that as they already had a CX-5, they could make a 6-7-seater version and name it CX-8 so that no one could guess how many seats it actually had. In Japan, the new Mazda CX-8 is Mazda’s flagship SUV, as the larger CX-9 is not for sale in the Land of the Rising Sun. Moreover, the vehicle is available in China, Australia, New Zealand and in different parts of Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, etc.). Neither CX-8 nor CX-9 is sold in Israel, but we have a Mazda CX-5 SUV.
The new Mazda CX-5 comes to Israel in both front-wheel drive and 4×4 variants. You can choose from two gasoline engines, including a 2-liter one with 165 hp and a 2.5-liter one with 195 hp. The first engine accelerates the CX-5 to 189 km/h, while the latter to 199 km/h. Both are coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission for both front and all-wheel drive. A restyled version of the second generation is expected to be released in 2021.
Exterior
The Mazda CX-8 is actually a more compact version of the CX-9, adapted to local realities and transport laws. The models have the same wheelbase (2,930 mm), but the CX-8 is smaller. It is 4,900 mm long (versus 5,065 mm), 1,840 mm wide (versus 1,961 mm) and 1,730 mm high, including the antenna, (versus 1,747 mm). Since the CX-8 is 17 cm shorter than the CX-9 and 13 cm narrower, it fits into strict Japanese road rules. The vehicles even look similar, sharing the same taillights and front face design. The models differ in the front bumper design and windows, as the rear side windows have different shapes. The wheels can be 17 or 19-inch.
Interior and equipment
The 2018/2019/2020 Mazda CX-8 has three rows of seats. However, the third row is designed for passengers no higher than 170 cm. But the middle row is available in three variants: 3-seater; 2-seater with separate seats and armrests; and a luxury variant with a console containing cup holders and USB connectors installed between the seats. The trunk volume behind the third row is 239 liters (according to the VDA standard), but if you fold the rear seats, you can get 572 liters of usable space, plus another 65 liters underground. Interior design can be expensive, for example, there is a variant of synthetic suede Black Maztex/Black Grand Luxe with contrasting red stitching.
The vehicle features a proprietary multimedia system with a 4.6-inch color display, whereas the advanced Bose sound system is offered for an extra charge. The new Mazda CX-8 is a modern well-equipped vehicle. Its equipment includes: adaptive LED headlights, head-up display, all-round video surveillance systems, traffic sign recognition, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and blind spot monitoring system. By 2019, the CX-8 safety system has learnt to recognize pedestrians at night.
Powertrains
The CX-8 was initially produced only with a 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine generating 190 hp and a torque of 450 Nm, which was coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission. However, the range was later expanded with two 4-cylinder gasoline engines: the 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G for the CX-5 and its turbocharged version for the CX-9. The natural-aspirated engine develops 190 hp, and its turbocharged sibling offers 230 hp.
Considering its class, the SUV can be either front or all-wheel drive. All vehicles are equipped with an intelligent torque distribution system G-Vectoring Control. Even the simplest front-wheel drive Mazda CX-8 is equipped with a package of electronic assistants, i-Activsense.
