Mazda is on a mission to enter the premium market and take on the likes of BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. According to Australia's Wheels, the first of these new luxury models will be the new CX-50, a stylish coupe-style crossover that will be built on a new rear-wheel-drive platform known as the FR Large Architecture and take on the BMW X4. This will be a more premium alternative to the current Mazda CX-5. We won't have to wait too long to see it, either, as the report claims the CX-50 will debut this November at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show and Tokyo Motor Show.

According to the report, Mazda's new luxury coupe SUV will be offered with either a 3.0-liter gasoline or diesel engine, possibly with turbocharging and twin-turbocharging.

These inline-six engines will also be electrified with a 48-volt battery and mild-hybrid technology and be paired with a new eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission sending power to the rear or all four wheels. A plug-in hybrid version will also reportedly be available utilizing Mazda's existing 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, allowing the Japanese model to compete with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Prime.

Compared to the current CX-5, the new CX-50 will be slightly longer and sport a sleeker design thanks to its longitudinal powertrain layout. A Mazda insider explained how "rear-drive, from a styling point of view, lends itself to enhancing the Kodo design language of traditional long- bonnet/cab-rearward design."

The CX-50 will be sold alongside the current Mazda CX-5, which will be updated later this year before the next-generation version arrives in 2023.

Beyond the CX-50, Mazda will expand its luxury SUV range in 2022 with a new three-row SUV replacing the CX-8 possibly called the CX-70. Topping the range will be a new flagship CX-90 seven-seat SUV replacing the CX-9, while the CX-3 will be replaced by a small SUV called the CX-10.

Mazda is also reportedly plotting a larger coupe SUV called either the CX-40 or CX-60 to take on the BMW X6, but the priority is to replace its core model lineup. "It will be about replacing the existing line-up, making sure they are working, making sure there is a viable return on investment, and also making sure that the new models are firing in the US," said a Mazda insider. "Once we do that, we can then look at the niche models."

After the CX-50, the replacement for the discontinued Mazda 6 will utilize Mazda's FR Large Architecture. Previewed by the stunning Vision Concept, the new Mazda 6 is expected to be called the Mazda 60 and launch in 2022.