Kia already did that with the Telluride (skipped 26 and called it a 27). It will be at dealers around the same time as the CX-5. Makes no sense to me considering we just started 2026.
My point is, without having actually been in the car, we don't know what it is like. Specs are one thing, real world experience is another. Hopefully they finally reworked the seats and didn't just reuse them for the 26.
It remains to be seen what the hybrid brings to the table. By clean sheet I mean not a reskin of the same chassis. This is the same basic chassis they have been using since 2013.
And that is my point, Gen 2 was also a refresh, still using the original chassis and reskinning it. Gen 3 is doing the same thing, just stretching the wheelbase a bit for more legroom. Don't get me wrong, it's an upgrade in some respects (and a downgrade in others), but they could have done...
Mazda dropped the performance power train they offered previously. The chassis is a stretched version of the original chassis from the first gen CX-5. So, literally, they have refreshed the same car twice for Gen 2 and Gen 3. There has not been an entirely clean sheet redesign of the car...
Essentially, updated tech with loss of physical controls, same power train - less the 2.5T option, and a slightly longer wheelbase with extra rear seat and cargo room. It's really more of an update than a new model.