Mazda introduces petrol-powered CX-8

MAZDA Australia has introduced a petrol engine to its CX-8 seven-seat large SUV and reshuffled and bolstered the line-up with five new variants.

Arriving 20 months after the CX-8 launched Down Under as an all-diesel affair, the new petrol engine takes the model’s price of entry below $40,000 for the first time, starting at $39,910 plus on-road costs for the Sport.

It uses the Japanese brand’s familiar 2.5-litre ‘SkyActiv-G’ four-cylinder engine good for 140kW of power and 252Nm of torque, driving the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

The other powertrain option for the Sport is the carryover 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine which produces 140kW/450Nm and delivers this to all four wheels. It is priced from $46,910 plus on-roads.

The addition of the petrol-powered Sport has slashed $4000 off the asking price of the most affordable CX-8, while the all-wheel-drive diesel version has had $1000 lopped off.

Standard equipment on both Sport variants includes metallic grey 17-inch alloy wheels, 8.0-inch full-colour touchscreen display, active driving display, three-zone climate control, smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth, DAB+ digital radio, sat-nav, electronic park brake, leather-clad steering wheel, radar cruise control with Stop and Go function, heated power mirrors, auto-dimming rearview mirror, smart brake support, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and rain-sensing wipers.

A suite of advanced safety features are also on-board, including blind-spot monitoring, intelligent speed assistance, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, smart city brake support, traffic-sign recognition and automatic LED headlights with high-beam control.

The 2.5-litre petrol engine is also available in the newly added higher-spec Touring trim level, again driving the front wheels.

Priced from $46,590, the petrol Touring is positioned $7000 below its diesel AWD counterpart ($53,590) and adds LED foglamps, keyless entry, heated and electric front seats, leather upholstery, one touch walk-in switch, front parking sensors and USB charging ports in the second row.

Sitting above the Touring are two new GT variants, priced from $57,900 for the FWD and $61,900 for the AWD.

Both GTs are powered by the 2.2-litre diesel and add 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive front lighting system, memory function for the driver’s seat, LED signature with DRL, sunroof, premium 10-speaker Bose sound system, rear door window sunshade, heated outboard rear seats, remote-operated power tailgate, LED cargo lamps, USB charging ports for the third row and LED vanity mirror lamps.

At the top of the tree there is the diesel-only Asaki trim level, now with the option of front- as well as all-wheel drive – FWD starting at $61,440 and AWD $65,440.

The new FWD version undercuts the previous asking price by $1650, while the AWD is now $2350 more expensive than before.

Compared to GT, the Asaki grade adds unique 19-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera, 7.0-inch TFT LCD multi-information meter display, adaptive LED headlamps, ambient LED lighting, frameless rearview mirror, ventilated front seats, LED-lit glovebox, heated steering wheel with unique leather stitching, wooden door and dashboard trim inserts, ‘Dark Russet’ or ‘Pure White’ Nappa leather and an overhead console.

Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak said the update has diversified the CX-8 range and given customers more choice when shopping for a seven-seat SUV.

“(The) new Mazda CX-8 broadens appeal in Mazda’s large SUV portfolio, giving customers even more choice with two engine options and a breadth of grades to suit individual budgets and needs,” he said.

“The new SkyActiv-G variant is quiet and fuel efficient, and will better suit those families that clock up most of their driving in and around the suburbs.”

Last year, Mazda sold 2551 examples of the CX-8, up 64.6 per cent on 2018 and owing much to an upgrade introduced in March 2019. By comparison, its CX-9 stablemate recorded 7168 sales, which marked an 11.4 per cent downturn.

Last month, Mazda chalked up 160 CX-8 sales compared to the CX-9’s 490.

2020 Mazda CX-8 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs