"All-New" 2026 Mazda CX-5 SUV Debuts Soon, But You Can See Its Thirsty Teases Now
AI Quick Summary
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 will debut on July 10 with a sharper, edgier design, resembling a BMW style. It's unclear if it's a totally new model or an evolution. Details on its powertrain remain undisclosed, but it might adopt the CX-50's hybrid option. More details will be revealed at the debut.
This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next
0:00 / 0:00
One thing that immediately stands out among these teaser images? The currently curvy CX-5 is getting an edgier look, with sharper body creases, angular lighting front and rear, and an almost BMW-like vibe. Keep in mind, today's CX-5 (which you can see in the photo gallery accompanying this story) is already one of the most premium-feeling and upscale-looking offerings in the mainstream compact SUV class, standing out among the bread-and-butter competitors such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, and others. What makes the CX-5 so appealing otherwise is that it's priced closer to those other SUVs, while looking like it belongs a class up alongside more premium-branded compact SUVs.
What isn't yet clear is whether this "all-new" CX-5 is truly nuts-and-bolts new, or a heavy evolution of the current CX-5. In the profile shot below, it looks awfully similar—front and rear bumpers and lighting notwithstanding—to the outgoing version from the side. The details, on the other hand, draw the 5 closer to its boxier sibling, the CX-50, without fully committing to that model's more off-road-y fender flares and general burlier vibe.
Another mystery? What will power the CX-5, which today is offered with a pair of 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines, one of which is turbocharged. The CX-50's engine lineup is similar, with one exception: It also offers a hybrid setup borrowed from Toyota's RAV4. We suspect that option will make its way to the CX-5, but we're simply guessing at this point, just as we expect the new CX-5's cabin to be as richly appointed and classy as today's model. We'll know more for sure July 10, when the 2026 Mazda CX-5 makes its full debut.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How Xiaomi Succeeded Where Apple Failed
(Bloomberg) -- Lei Jun, founder and chairman of Xiaomi Corp., the only tech company to have successfully diversified into carmaking, couldn't resist. Trump's Gilded Design Style May Be Gaudy. But Don't Call it 'Rococo.' Foreign Buyers Swoop on Cape Town Homes, Pricing Out Locals Massachusetts to Follow NYC in Making Landlords Pay Broker Fees Are Tourists Ruining Europe? How Locals Are Pushing Back NYC Commutes Resume After Midtown Bus Terminal Crash Chaos Speaking at a triumphant launch event in Beijing late last month for Xiaomi's second electric vehicle, a long-anticipated SUV, Lei pointedly mentioned Apple Inc., which spent a decade and $10 billion trying to make a car before giving up last year. 'Since Apple stopped developing its car, we've given special care to Apple users,' he said, noting that owners of the American giant's iPhones would be able to seamlessly sync their devices to Xiaomi's vehicles. The not-so-subtle dig was followed by a flex: Xiaomi then said it had received more than 289,000 orders for its new sport utility vehicle within an hour of its announcement, more than its first EV, a sedan launched in March 2024. Xiaomi succeeding where Apple failed has burnished Lei's reputation, made his company one of the most valuable in China and shaken up both the tech and automobile industries. The collapse of Apple's moonshot car program has only underscored the effectiveness of Xiaomi's grounded approach, which took inspiration from proven designs from Tesla Inc. and Porsche Automobil Holding SE while staying true to the affordable ethos that's made it a cult brand for Gen Z consumers. Crucially, it also launched into the most fertile EV ecosystem in the world — China. With state subsidies, existing charging infrastructure and a ready made supply chain, Xiaomi had a structural tailwind Apple lacked. Xiaomi declined to comment for this story. Lei and Xiaomi's 'charisma, brand recognition and ecosystem cannot be underestimated,' Yale Zhang, the managing director of Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, said. 'It's a big influence on young consumers who have filled their homes with Xiaomi products. When it comes time to buy an EV, they naturally think of Xiaomi.' But building cars is a far more complex, capital intensive challenge than making phones or rice cookers. It requires mastering safety regulations, global logistics and production at scale, all while competing against legacy automakers with long histories and large model lineups. Any international expansion will also require navigating complex geopolitical landscapes. As one of the first tech giants to actually manufacture a car, Xiaomi is in uncharted territory. Apple's Failings Apple's car project, internally dubbed Project Titan, failed in large part because it wasn't just an EV — it was at one point an attempt to leapfrog the auto industry with a fully autonomous, Level 5 self-driving machine. Its goals were lofty and the direction constantly shifting, the result being over a decade of effort with nothing to show. Lei, 55, was comparatively stingy with time and resources and staked his personal reputation on the endeavor, claiming that making cars would be his 'last entrepreneurial project.' Xiaomi's public narrative is that Lei and his team learned by visiting multiple Chinese automakers, including Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. and Great Wall Motor Co., and talked to more than 200 industry experts in some 80 meetings. The reality is also that he used Xiaomi's reputation as an innovative consumer behemoth to get close to China's large carmakers and pick off their top talent. Geely and its billionaire founder Li Shufu welcomed Lei to the automaker's research institute in Ningbo in the months leading up to Xiaomi's announcement that it would enter the car business to discuss topics, including potential collaboration. It's Geely lore that Lei added the WeChat contacts of many staff at the institute, including then-director Hu Zhengnan. Hu later joined Shunwei Capital Partners, the investment firm co-founded by Lei. Recruitment Tactics Xiaomi headhunters also courted Geely staff intensely, according to people familiar with the matter. While it's common for talent to move between companies in the same industry, it was unusual to see this level of aggressiveness around recruitment, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing information that's private. Geely didn't respond to a request for comment. Hu, known for his love of the German luxury marque Porsche, was one of the team members credited as being instrumental to developing Xiaomi's EV business, Lei said at the SU7 launch in 2024. Lei added that Hu left his previous employer after his contract ended. Other executives who joined Xiaomi came from companies including BAIC Motor Corp., BMW AG, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. — the General Motors Co. joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp. and Wuling Motors Holdings Ltd. — and auto supplier Magna Steyr LLC. Besides assembling top Chinese automaking talent, Lei made a prescient bet on investing in a self-controlled supply chain — insulating Xiaomi's operation from manufacturing vagaries. This came from painful lessons learned in Xiaomi's early smartphone-producing days, when external suppliers would cut off components unpredictably. In 2016, some members of Xiaomi's supply chain team displeased Samsung Electronics Co. representatives and the South Korean firm threatened to halt supply of its industry-leading AMOLED screens. To mend the fractured relationship, Lei flew to Shenzhen to meet with Samsung's China head at the time. The pair drank five bottles of red wine during their dinner meeting, according to a Xiaomi company biography, and Lei also made multiple trips to Samsung's headquarters in South Korea to apologize and negotiate the resumption of supply. Representatives from Samsung declined to comment. After Xiaomi went into the carmaking business, it invested into almost all parts of the EV supply chain, from batteries and chips to air suspension and sensors. It pumped more than $1.6 billion via Shunwei or other Xiaomi-led funds into over 100 supply chain companies between 2021 and 2024, according to data compiled by Chinese analytics firm Zhangtongshe and Bloomberg. The components from some of the companies that Xiaomi invested in have ended up in its cars, such as lidars from Hesai Technology Co. and onboard chargers and voltage converters from Zhejiang EV-Tech Co. With the 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) it committed to the first phase of its EV venture, Xiaomi also built its own factory, rather than going down the contract manufacturing route that some Chinese makers, including Nio Inc. and Xpeng Inc., did when they started out. 'Among tech companies that now build electric vehicles, those who previously had hardware products seem to be more successful than those who only had software products or information services,' said Paul Gong, UBS Group AG's head of China autos research. Copycat Allegations Despite its early success, there are many who argue Xiaomi's one hit car is copied from elsewhere — and that a sole successful vehicle does not a successful auto producer make. Lei's aggressive approach has also raised hackles in China's car industry. Yu Jingmin, vice president of SAIC's passenger car division, reportedly described Xiaomi's approach as 'shameless' in a critique of the SU7 resembling Porsche. The SU7 has been colloquially dubbed 'Porsche Mi' by netizens. SAIC didn't respond to questions about Yu's remarks. Xiaomi's design team, led by former BMW designer Li Tianyuan, has defended the SU7's aesthetics, emphasizing that the choices were driven by aerodynamic efficiency and performance benchmarks. In late March, there was another setback after a fatal accident involving the SU7. The car had its advanced driver assistance technology turned on before the crash, which afterward led to authorities reining in the promotion and deployment of the technology. The usually vocal Lei kept a low profile on social media for more than a month post the March accident. He returned to more active engagement in May with a missive that said this period of time was the most difficult in his career. Fortunately for Xiaomi, its consumer base is sticky. Known as 'Mi Fans,' the loyal customers have played a pivotal role in the company's rise. Xiaomi cultivated this fandom early on by prioritizing user feedback and the grassroots allegiance has helped it build strong brand equity, especially in China. The SU7 has remained a top selling model even after the accident in March. Indeed, dealers have reported that nearly 50% of customers plump for the SU7 without comparing it to other brands. 'A significant number of older consumers are buying the SU7 for their children, indicating that the model has built trust among more conservative buyers thanks to its safety and quality,' said Rosalie Chen, a senior analyst from investment research firm Third Bridge. Small Scale Xiaomi has set a delivery target of 350,000 units in 2025, up from its previous goal of 300,000, buoyed by demand for the newly launched YU7 and a ramp up in production. The starting prices for the SU7 sedan, at 215,900 yuan ($30,100), and its SUV, at 253,500 yuan, make them competitive alternatives to models like Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y. The EVs are also showing financial promise. Xiaomi posted record revenue for the first quarter this year, driven by car and smartphone sales. Its EV division is expected to turn profitable in the second half of 2025, Lei said in an investor meeting in June. But even if the popularity of Xiaomi's EVs can spring beyond the company's devoted base, production is still on a much more boutique scale. China's top car brand, BYD Co., sold around 4.3 million EVs and hybrids last year, many overseas, while Tesla moved about 1.78 million vehicles globally. Toyota Motor Corp., the world's No. 1 automaker, sold some 10.8 million vehicles and boasts a lineup of approximately 70 different models. Lei doesn't seem to be prioritizing the mass market of below $20,000 yet, which drives significant volume and is where BYD dominates, Automotive Foresight's Zhang said. Without a lineup in that segment, Xiaomi cars will remain niche purchases for middle to higher-income consumers and Xiaomi may face the same risks as Tesla, which is seeing its sales slump exacerbated by a narrow consumer base and limited models. Nonetheless, Lei seems buoyed by Xiaomi's early wins and is now looking at global expansion. Xiaomi will consider selling cars outside China from 2027, he said last week. Success or otherwise, the European Union, the US and Turkey have all slapped tariffs on Chinese EVs, but Xiaomi wants to set up a R&D center in Munich and may test sales starting in European markets such as Germany, Spain and France when the time is right, Chinese media 36Kr reported in April. 'Xiaomi is a latecomer to the auto industry,' Lei admitted on Weibo in June. But, he said, in a market driven by technology and innovation and the rising global influence of China's EV culture, 'there are always opportunities for latecomers.' --With assistance from Vlad Savov, Mark Gurman, Drake Bennett and Jessica Sui. For Brazil's Criminals, Coffee Beans Are the Target Sperm Freezing Is a New Hot Market for Startups SNAP Cuts in Big Tax Bill Will Hit a Lot of Trump Voters Too Pistachios Are Everywhere Right Now, Not Just in Dubai Chocolate China's Homegrown Jewelry Superstar ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
These ultra-thin bendy solar panels are so light you can wear them
As summer temperatures in Osaka, Japan, soar closer to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, staff at Expo 2025 are beating the heat with utility vests that are powered by the sun. Developed by Toyota Group company Toyoda Gosei, in collaboration with solar cell startup Enecoat Technologies and textile manufacturer Seiren, the utility vests are fitted with ultra-thin, flexible solar panels that weigh less than four grams each — lighter than a single sheet of paper — and power neck fans to keep the wearer cool. These solar 'films' aren't like the silicon panels installed on roofs or solar farms, which account for 98% of the solar energy market today. Instead, they're made of perovskites, a family of crystals that share the same characteristic structure. Perovskite solar cells are lighter, cheaper to produce, and can be tuned to absorb a broader range of light, including visible and near-infrared. They can even be charged 'under shade, in rainy and cloudy weather,' says Shinichiro Fuki, director of the Toyoda Gosei team behind the vest. In the lab, Enecoat's solar film has achieved 21.2% efficiency, meaning around a fifth of the solar energy is converted to electricity. Now, it is being tested in real-world conditions at the Expo. The team is gathering data daily on how it responds to different climate conditions, such as solar radiation and temperature, as well as the performance of the mobile battery that it connects to, which is expected to fully charge in five to 10 hours. According to Fuki, the project is a 'world-first initiative' to integrate perovskite solar cells into wearables. 'We hope people who work in an environment where they cannot easily obtain power without solar power will use and wear it,' he adds. Perovskites can be found in nature or made in a lab, and their use in solar cells was first demonstrated in 2009 by researchers in Japan. In lab settings, perovskites have achieved power conversion efficiencies of more than 26% — around the same as the best-performing silicon solar panels today, which have nearly hit their efficiency limit. One of the greatest advantages of perovskites is their ability to 'generate power indoors or in low-light environments,' says Tamotsu Horiuchi, director and chief technology officer at Enecoat Technologies. 'When indoors, instead of sunlight, the light of LEDs, fluorescent lights, or similar lights, will be used to produce power,' says Horiuchi. And because they are more flexible and lightweight than silicon panels, 'we can install solar panels even in places where it was impossible before,' he adds — such as roofs that can't support silicon solar panels, which can weigh up to around 50 pounds (23 kilograms). Related article Solar-charging backpacks are helping children to read after dark The vests aren't the only demonstration of perovskites at the Expo: Polish company Saule Technologies has deployed curved solar cells in 'smart poles' that power street lights, security cameras, digital signage and wireless charging, and Japanese company Sekisui Chemical is demonstrating its one-millimeter-thick solar film on the roof of the event's bus terminus. At the Panasonic Group pavilion, perovskite solar cells sandwiched between layers of glass to provide added durability have been transformed into an artistic facade to showcase the aesthetic potential of the technology. 'The current (silicone) solar panels are difficult to install in our living space,' says Yoshiteru Hara, technical director of the Panasonic pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. 'We need to make a balance between design and power generation efficiency.' Japan is investing heavily in perovskite technology to meet ambitious goals of generating 20 gigawatts of solar energy by 2040, the equivalent power produced by about typical 20 nuclear power plants. The nation is the world's second-largest producer of iodine, a key ingredient in perovskites, and the country's mountainous terrain limits the potential development of traditional solar farms, which require huge amounts of flat land. However, despite the advantages, perovskites degrade faster than silicon when exposed to heat, moisture or UV rays, losing efficiency in a few years, months or even weeks. 'Everybody right now is working on stability: that's the only thing that perovskites lack and still don't have in comparison to silicon,' says Dr Hashini Perera, a postgraduate research fellow at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute, where she studies perovskites. Researchers are exploring different ways to make perovskites more durable, such as adding 'stabilizing agents' or encasing the film in protective layers, such as glass, says Perera, whose recent research discovered a method that could increase the material's lifespan tenfold. Another challenge of perovskites is that they contain lead, which is toxic. Studies have shown that if damaged this could present an environmental risk, but Perera says that the potential for lead leakage is very low, particularly with robust encapsulation methods. While solar cells using just perovskite might still have a long road to commercialization, it's already improving existing panels: last year, Oxford PV, a company spun out of the University of Oxford physics department, launched the first commercial perovskite-on-silicon tandem panels in the US, delivering up to 20% more energy than standalone silicon cells. 'It's a massive step forward for perovskites,' says Perera. Perovskite's ability to bring energy generation into urban areas, closer to where it's used, will also make future cities more efficient, says Horiuchi, chief technology officer at Enecoat. 'It's more effective to use the electricity generated right there (on-site) to power the building itself,' says Horiuchi, adding: 'The same is true for clothing. I think the best way to use it is… on a smartwatch or your smartphone. I think it would be good to develop it in that way.' Additional reporting by Yumi Asada, CNN.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Daimler Truck reports 5% decline in Q2 sales
(Reuters) -Daimler Truck, one of the world's biggest truckmakers, reported a 5% decrease in second-quarter sales on Monday, dragged by lower demand in the U.S. market. The company said it sold 106,715 trucks and buses in the second quarter, compared with 112,195 a year earlier. The Trucks North America sales dropped 20% to 38,580 units in the quarter. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
