Mazda CX-50

I even think they mentioned they don't want to go full luxury, they want to go premium at VW level type of money. Which is not a bad thing, IMO.
I wouldn't ever think of VW as "premium"--they're in there with Toyota and Honda but with poorer reliability. If some VWs happen to share some parts bins with Audi that would say something more about Audi than VW.

Like I said, at the least Mazda could come up with a name other than CX-50, so closely associated with the others in the line. That costs nothing.
 
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Mazda had planned a luxury line called "Amati", scheduled to launch in 1994. The idea collapsed with the Japanese recession in the 1990s.
 
I wouldn't ever think of VW as "premium"--they're in there with Toyota and Honda but with poorer reliability. If some VWs happens to share some parts bins with Audi that would say something more about Audi than VW.

Like I said, at the least Mazda could come up with a name other than CX-50, so closely associated with the others in the line. That costs nothing.
I would argue that, VW has a good reliability in Europe, is just the north-american market that gets the products built here, have issues with reliability and they have a higher maintenance costs. Also I would argue about the product quality when speaking about premium, because I consider VW (at least european products) to be above what Toyota and Honda is producing in NA.
 
I would argue that, VW has a good reliability in Europe, is just the north-american market that gets the products built here, have issues with reliability and they have a higher maintenance costs. Also I would argue about the product quality when speaking about premium, because I consider VW (at least european products) to be above what Toyota and Honda is producing in NA.
I'm not familiar with VW's European line-up. Do they sell a compact SUV/CUV with 300 hp? Or would have to move up to an Audi?
 
I would argue that, VW has a good reliability in Europe, is just the north-american market that gets the products built here, have issues with reliability and they have a higher maintenance costs. Also I would argue about the product quality when speaking about premium, because I consider VW (at least european products) to be above what Toyota and Honda is producing in NA.
I don't know man, I've been hearing, watchig, reading everywhere that the Atlas has lower maintenance cost than Highlander. Who should I trust - you or the countless commercials :D
 
The reality is people pay a lot of money for a badge
I am the opposite and I think a lot of smart people are like that out there. If VW produces a reliable car (ideally made in Japan :) ), I don't mind buying one. That will obviously not happen any time soon.
 
I am the opposite and I think a lot of smart people are like that out there. If VW produces a reliable car (ideally made in Japan :) ), I don't mind buying one. That will obviously not happen any time soon.
I was not talking about VW when I said people pay a lot of money for a badge. They sure don't in the US.

It seems to me an automaker building a vehicle like this would want to appeal to both--people who want bang for the buck regardless of the badge and those who go badge hunting.

It would stand to reason if the CX-50 is a "premium" 300 hp set-up, differentiated from the CX-5, it will price at least where the CX-5 leaves off, $40,000+ US then up from there if the AWD and turbo versions materialize. I can't imagine they won't at least add an AWD option in fairly short order.

This vehicle sure ain't intended to compete with the Tiguan. That's CX-5 territory. Think BMW X-3 which starts at $43,000 US with 248 hp turbo-4 RWD. It just seems to me they could at least come up with a better name than CX-50 in a move into the "premium" class. CX-50 sounds like a tweaky upgrade over the CX-5, as CX-30 was relative to the CX-3.
 
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I'm not familiar with VW's European line-up. Do they sell a compact SUV/CUV with 300 hp? Or would have to move up to an Audi?
There is T-Roc R with close to 300hp, there is Tiguan R with over 300hp (doesn't have anything to do with NA Tiguan) and there's the Touareg R with about 450hp .
 
There is T-Roc R with close to 300hp, there is Tiguan R with over 300hp (doesn't have anything to do with NA Tiguan) and there's the Touareg R with about 450hp .
So the homeland is certainly quite different than the US. Tiguan is the CX-5 competitor in the US and it comes in only one motor, a 183 horse 2.0L turbo even in the highest trim Tiguan R. I doubt VW would ever try to sell anything in the US with 300 hp and a Tiguan name in the US. They'd sidle you across the parking lot to the Audi showroom. There might be a 300 hp VW ID4 in the US at some point at $45,000+ before tax rebates. But that's an EV and a whole other kettle of fish.

But I come back to my original point--at least in the US market why would you give a premium class vehicle a name that sounds like a new generation of the everyman? I'd say the same about the next generation 6 if the article in post #3 is correct in speculating it is a joint development with the next gen Lexus iS currently starting at $40,000+ US. Why would you want to call that premium step-up a 60?
Mazda had planned a luxury line called "Amati", scheduled to launch in 1994. The idea collapsed with the Japanese recession in the 1990s.
I like that name, it kinda sounds Japanese (for execution) and definitely Italian (for sexy and plays like a high end violin), but with the tarnish you would not want to reuse it. If we rule out a new marque, which seems reasonable for the foreseeable future, a Mazda model name along those lines instead of CX-50 makes more sense to me.

I would assume they will be keeping the CX-5 for some undetermined time in the US. That's the high volume segment and half of Mazda's total US sales. Without it there is a massive gap between the CX-30 and CX-50. Running the 5 and 50 simultaneously adds to the cognitive dissonance regarding where the 50 sits.
As an example, take Hyundai Genesis, that eventually became Genesis brand.
They started that way with one Genesis model. You can't have a separate marque with only one vehicle. As they added more models they spun out Genesis as a distinct marque. Even still they sell out of the same dealerships like this where the cost of the extra marque may only be the signage:

 
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The bulge over the rear fenders (circled in green) might also suggest that this car is using the new FR platform.
The more I look, the more I intend to say that this a Front wheel driven car. It is not a RWD with AWD car. Just look at the front brake calipers, they are positioned in the front end of the car, like they are for a front wheel car and not in the back of the rotor, like in RWD platforms. Kind of disappointing and my guess this is a new SUV, which seems to be on a large platform, but front wheel driven.
 
The more I look, the more I intend to say that this a Front wheel driven car. It is not a RWD with AWD car. Just look at the front brake calipers, they are positioned in the front end of the car, like they are for a front wheel car and not in the back of the rotor, like in RWD platforms. Kind of disappointing and my guess this is a new SUV, which seems to be on a large platform, but front wheel driven.

You could be right, but apparently there are some exceptions. This blog post identifies some rear-based AWD cars and RWD cars with front brake calipers in the leading position (Nissan GTR, Porsche Cayenne, FR-S/BRZ twins), along with some explanations for why.

We may just have to wait and see.
 
I may have missed it, do we know if the CX-50 will be a separate model from a continuing CX-5 model or is it replacing it?

I would hope its still two separate models.
 
I may have missed it, do we know if the CX-50 will be a separate model from a continuing CX-5 model or is it replacing it?

I would hope its still two separate models.
I don't recall seeing any news on discontinuing the cx-5. I think it'll likely be the trend with cx-3 in tandem with cx-30 for a year or two.
 
Since the news with the EV's popped up, its interesting that nobody is paying a close attention to they're large architecture. From the picture below, along the inline six with 48V mild hybrid, it seems like they are going with a double wishbone suspension, which is amazing news imo and a multilink setup in the rear. Anybody else notice anything interesting ?

large_gasoline_engine_48v_mild_hev_s-copy.jpg
 
Since the news with the EV's popped up, its interesting that nobody is paying a close attention to they're large architecture. From the picture below, along the inline six with 48V mild hybrid, it seems like they are going with a double wishbone suspension, which is amazing news imo and a multilink setup in the rear. Anybody else notice anything interesting ?

View attachment 300130
Absolutely! Reads like a bargain BMW X3 M40i. Although, in that engine’s current configuration I’m a little confused by the plumbing running across the top of the valve cover. Maybe it’s a turbo sans intercooler plumbing in that photo?
Maybe an air-to-water intercooler hiding on the passenger side?
 
Absolutely! Reads like a bargain BMW X3 M40i. Although, in that engine’s current configuration I’m a little confused by the plumbing running across the top of the valve cover. Maybe it’s a turbo sans intercooler plumbing in that photo?
Maybe an air-to-water intercooler hiding on the passenger side?

That might be the turbocharger. I posted this on another topic in the CX50 section. Since this is mounted longitudinal, 34 might be the one that is coming on top of the engine.
Capture.PNG
 
More details from a Q&A session with Mazda in Japan.


for the large group, which is scheduled to go into production at the end of this fiscal year, the company has developed a longitudinal (engine) architecture with a multi-solution architecture that can accommodate 48V mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, inline four-cylinder and inline six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. This completes the "Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture". During the question and answer session, Mr. Hirose also revealed that the company intends to hold a technical presentation and hands-on experience session for this large product line from the latter half of 2021 to the first half of 2022.
 
Some pretty solid info and a bit of educated speculation.

Thanks for the share...I subscribe to the "Kirk Kreifels" channel, I like that he covers Mazda present and future. He also seems to be a Mazda fan so that's a bonus...(y)
 
Thanks for the share...I subscribe to the "Kirk Kreifels" channel, I like that he covers Mazda present and future. He also seems to be a Mazda fan so that's a bonus...(y)
There are so many accounts that have both similar and contradictory information at the same time. CX 5 or CX 50? Both available at the same time with the CX 50 RWD and more “premium“? It will be interesting to see a reveal at the LA Auto Show in November if that rumor is in fact true.
 
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