The popular Mazda CX-5 may not receive a third-generation successor despite the fact the compact crossover was the Japanese automaker's global best-seller last year. Speaking to Australia's Car Expert, CX-5 program manager Mitsuru Wakiie could not promise a third-generation model will come. "I'm not sure whether we are going to introduce a CX-5 or not, so I can't give you any details." He refused to elaborate further.

The crossover received a facelift for the 2022 model year, so it's expected the current generation will remain in production and on sale for at least a few more years.

Beyond that is anyone's guess, at least according to Wakiie. So what could be the reason for Mazda dropping the CX-5, which first hit the market back in late 2012?

The possible answer is the all-new CX-50, which went on sale a few months ago. The Alabama-built CX-50 has a more rugged exterior appearance and is also more spacious inside. The overseas-only CX-60 is also expected to spawn the CX-70, which will be sold in the US.

And there's the larger CX-90 flagship crossover, which was revealed to the world a few days ago. The CX-5 is no longer necessary.

Mazda sold 365,135 examples of the CX-5 globally last year - more than double Mazda3 sales, which totaled 173,619 units. The second-generation CX-5, which hit the market in 2017, is still reasonably luxurious for its price point and segment, but Mazda has been steadily moving upmarket over the past few years.

The CX-50 and CX-90 are proven examples, and the CX-5 could find itself out of place compared to these latest offerings. Assuming, for a moment, this rumor is true, it would not be the first time Mazda dropped a model in favor of something else.

Previously, the Mazda CX-3 was replaced by the CX-30, a sportier compact crossover with sleeker exterior styling and a higher ride height. The CX-3 never sold very well in the US, but the CX-30 is doing just fine. Mazda reported a total of 52,808 CX-30s were sold in the US in 2022. To compare, just 5,100 CX-3s were sold in 2021.

But the CX-5 sold an impressive 151,594 examples in 2022, making it Mazda's best-seller in the US. The CX-50 might have done better if Mazda had the capacity to build more.