Hybrid compact crossovers are so hot right now, and it’s not hard to understand why. They’re practical, spacious vehicles that get outstanding fuel economy for their size and require nearly no changes in driving habits over gasoline-powered cars. That explains why almost everyone from Ford to Toyota has something in this segment, and now another manufacturer is throwing its hat into the ring with the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid.
Having been on sale for a few years in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms, the Mazda CX-50 is one of my favorite compact crossovers. Sure, the torsion beam rear suspension might not be the most sophisticated setup in the world, but this CUV drives well, its inputs feel great, its styling is razor wire-sharp, and its cabin is actually quite lovely. It’s a great base to start with, although the engineering underneath the hybrid model isn’t necessarily what you’d expect.
Under the hood of this new hybrid variant sits a rather different powertrain than we’re used to from Mazda. See, the hybrid CX-50 uses Toyota’s hybrid system, so you can almost think of this as filling in the mid-point between a RAV4 Hybrid and a Lexus NX when it comes to niceness. Combustion power comes from a Toyota-sourced 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, likely the exact same one as in a RAV4 Hybrid, seeing as the two share a bore, stroke, output, and compression ratio. Electrification comes from a two-motor eCVT on the front axle and an electric motor out back, fed by a 1.591 kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Combined output? Identical to a RAV4 Hybrid at 219 horsepower.
Fuel economy is rated at 38 mpg combined, one less than an all-wheel-drive RAV4 Hybrid and one more than an all-wheel-drive Honda CR-V Hybrid and a Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. That puts the electrified CX-50 in good company, right in the mix of the competition on fuel economy, all while offering convincing premium style. Mind you, there is a tradeoff for electrification — two inches of rear legroom simply evaporates along with nearly an inch of rear headroom, the rear seat squab sits 1.2 inches closer to a raised floor, and towing capacity drops to 1,500 pounds. On the plus side, cargo area length with the rear seats up grows by an inch, but it seems that hybridizing the CX-50 required some serious surgery. The whole vehicle itself sits between 1.4 and 2.3 inches taller than a base, combustion-only CX-50, which would explain the hybrid-specific cladding.
The least-expensive CX-50 Hybrid, the Preferred trim, starts at $35,390 including a $1,420 freight charge, although it does include some decent equipment including half-leatherette seats, an eight-speaker audio system, heated power front seats, a power liftgate, and a wiper de-icer. Stepping up to the $38,820 CX-50 Hybrid Premium trim adds leather seating with an available hybrid-only red colorway, a panoramic moonroof, a Bose stereo, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and satellite radio. Finally, there’s the $41,470 CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus trim level, which adds 19-inch wheels, a heads-up display, power-folding mirrors, and a few trim upgrades just to make it seem a bit nicer.
While we’ll have to get our hands on the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid to see what effects the packaging changes have on the vehicle’s overall practicality, it looks like a more stylish, more upscale alternative to a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid on paper. Expect it to roll into showrooms across the country later this year.
(Photo credits: Mazda)
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