Say Goodbye to the Mazda CX-8 and Hello to the CX-80

Mazda has recently made an announcement stating that the production of their CX-8 model will come to an end in late December 2023. This three-row mid-size SUV is currently being sold in Japan, China, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. However, Mazda is planning on replacing the CX-8 with an all-new electrified model, the Mazda CX-80, which is set to make its debut next year.

In addition to the announcement about the production end of the CX-8, Mazda has also stated that orders and sales of the SUV will continue throughout 2024 until the remaining stock runs out.

The Mazda CX-8 was first introduced back in 2017, as a longer version of the CX-5 model and with a three-row seating layout. The SUV shared the same architecture with the smaller CX-5 and the larger CX-9. Depending on the market, the CX-8 was available in 6-seater and 7-seater configurations, in both FWD and AWD setups, and with petrol and diesel powertrain options.

It’s worth noting that the CX-8 lineup did not include any electrified options, unlike its successor – the Mazda CX-80. Mazda has revealed that the CX-80 will be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain based on a four-cylinder petrol engine. Additionally, the CX-80 will also have 48-Volt mild-hybrid versions of the straight-six Skyactiv-X (petrol) and Skyactive-D (diesel) engines.

It’s been almost two years since Mazda confirmed the CX-80 as a member of its growing SUV lineup, based on the new “Large Architecture” underpinnings. To clarify, the “narrow-body” CX-60 and CX-80 are primarily designed for markets like Europe and Japan, whereas the CX-70 and CX-90 are more focused on the needs of North American customers.

Photo Source: Mazda Australia