I have a 1972 Chevrolet C-10 Custom Deluxe, complete with a bench seat. Not a single cup holder.
It is definitely nice to have a least a couple of usable cup holders. Though, I don't have any issue with the ones in my CX-5.
But it is by no means a make or break issue for me, when shopping for a new vehicle.
Instead, I hope they focus all of their efforts on updating their ridiculous Nav/infotainment system, display and center stack.