Mazda CX-5 Could Get The Turbocharged Treatment

Jun. 23, 2018 11:45 AM ET by Martin Bigg Engine / 4 Comments

Mazda's best-selling crossover could soon borrow the CX-9's 2.5-liter turbo unit.

As much as we love the MX-5 Miata, the popular CX-5 is the most important model in Mazda's line-up. Case in point: of the 29,980 vehicles Mazda sold in America last month, nearly half of them were CX-5s. But while the popular model has stylish looks you wouldn't expect from a sensible family crossover, its performance isn't exactly blistering. That could soon change, however. According to leaked documents uncovered by The Truth About Cars, the CX-3 could soon be getting the turbocharged treatment.

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The certification document from the California Air Resources Board shows the best-selling CX-5 could soon inherit the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine found in its larger CX-9 sibling. Emissions results from the document show a 2.5-liter four boasting direct injection and forced induction, with its applications listed as the 2019 CX-5 and CX-9. Currently, the CX-5 is only offered in two flavors in America: a 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder producing 156 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque, or a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter with 187 hp and 186 lb-ft on tap. In the CX-9, the 2.5-liter turbo unit generates 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, which would give the CX-5 a welcome power bump.

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Alas, there's no word yet when, or if, the turbocharged CX-5 will arrive, or how much power it will produce, but hopefully it will debut before the end of the year or possibly in early 2019. Since the CX-5 debuted in America in 2012, its sales have increased every year, making it Mazda's best-selling model in America. This May saw the crossover's sales rise by 19.9 percent, with overall sales up by 43.7 percent in the first five months of 2018.

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Mazda CX-5 Could Get The Turbocharged Treatment

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Mazda CX-5 Could Get The Turbocharged Treatment

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