The Mazda CX-8 tends to get a bit misplaced within the firm’s sprawling household SUV line-up, positioned because it has been between the well-regarded CX-5 and CX-9.
However there’s a wind of change blowing by way of the vary as Mazda makes some modifications to its three-row line-up: particularly, killing off mentioned CX-9 and releasing the extra upmarket CX-80 and CX-90.
This offers the just lately facelifted CX-8 a brand new lease on life as the corporate’s most accessible (aka most cost-effective) family-friendly choice with three rows of seats.
The replace brings the requisite redesigned bumpers, headlights, grille surrounds and color palette; a bigger infotainment display screen throughout the vary; and a few delicate suspension modifications.
“Our plan is to have three merchandise that supply three rows of seating – CX-8, CX-80 and CX-90,” Mazda Australia chief Vinesh Bhindi instructed us in July. “Now we have confirmed CX-9 will finish in the direction of the tip of this 12 months, so we’re increasing from a two-product portfolio providing three rows, to providing three nameplates with three-row choices.”
Whereas the CX-8 is offered as a standalone mannequin, it’s useful to consider it as a stretched CX-5 with an added row of seats, given the 2 fashions share most of their components.
Given the CX-5 is Australia’s longstanding second-favourite medium SUV behind the Toyota RAV4, it stands to motive the CX-8 has underperformed considerably. Deservedly so, or not?
How a lot does the Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring value?
The revised CX-8 vary opens at $42,090 earlier than on-road prices for the Sport, however the Touring variant we’re testing right here prices $48,690 plus on-roads. It sits beneath the extra luxurious GT SP ($58,560) and Asaki ($61,810) grades.
These costs are for fashions with a petroleum engine and customary front-wheel drive. If you would like all-wheel drive you need to additionally improve to the diesel engine choice, for a hefty worth premium of between $7000 and $8000 as demonstrated beneath.
What are another seven-seat SUV on the CX-8 Touring’s worth level? Sturdy choices embrace the Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire, Nissan X-Path ST-L, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Life.
On a drive-away foundation, the 2023 Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring FWD’s listing worth of $48,960 equates to an on-the-road worth of $54,500 in Victoria, with small variations between States and Territories.
2023 Mazda CX-8 pricing:
G25 FWD
- CX-8 Sport: $42,060
- CX-8 Touring: $48,960
- CX-8 GT SP: $58,560
- CX-8 Asaki: $61,810
D35 AWD
- CX-8 Sport: $49,060
- CX-8 Touring Lively: $56,910
- CX-8 GT SP: $65,560
- CX-8 Asaki: $68,810
- CX-8 Asaki LE: $71,410
Costs are earlier than on-road prices
What’s the Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring like on the within?
The CX-8 Touring has a proximity-sensing key fob that permits you to unlock and open the door on strategy with out fumbling in your pockets, and power-folding mirrors that fold out robotically.
Mazda tends to be good at making its automobile interiors really feel a bit of bit extra luxurious than competitor manufacturers, and the CX-8 is not any exception.
The seats are trimmed in what looks like a high-quality leather-based, fairly easy and comfortable, and even on this variant they’re heated and power-adjustable for each the driving force and entrance passenger. They may, nonetheless, use a bit of higher under-thigh help.
Good leather-based contact factors additionally characteristic on the doorways and on the centre console, with actual stitching and wooden, in addition to chrome-look inlays including a pleasant distinction.
Identical goes for the knee padding on the transmission tunnel, and the leather-based trim on the steering wheel. The door closes with a strong thunk.
Forward of the driving force is a mixture of analogue gauges and a digital centre show that merely mimics an old style speedometer, but additionally reveals journey information.
Moreover there’s a head-up show that initiatives a digital speedo and the detected velocity restrict onto the windscreen. This characteristic is all the time a welcome contact, as a result of it retains your eye on the highway.
The ten.25-inch central infotainment show is similar because the one within the newer-design CX-30 and Mazda 3, working Mazda’s glossy and minimalist software program design. Going in opposition to the grain, it’s not a touchscreen, however is as a substitute managed by a chunky knurled dial behind the gear shifter.
In lots of points it good to make use of once you’re driving, as a result of the dial falls simply to your hand – which stays regular over bumps given the armrest. Ever discovered it arduous to jab at a touchscreen over a bumpy highway? Not within the CX-8. The button-heavy expertise carries over to the local weather controls.
The menus are additionally specified by easy vogue, and there are three shortcut buttons to simplify the expertise additional. A lot of the time, the mixture of this centre dial and the head-up show imply you actually do appear to maintain your head up and your eyes on the highway.
There’s one main exception to this nonetheless, and that’s in the event you use Apple CarPlay (wi-fi on this automobile) or Android Auto (wired). Telephone mirroring is designed for contact, so it’s a bit of clunky to make use of with the dial.
The Touring has a good audio system together with tweeters within the A-pillars regardless of this not being a flagship variant. Digicam high quality is fairly good, by way of picture readability, however it’s solely a rear-view somewhat than a surround-view.
Storage choices embrace a rubberised telephone cubby forward of the gear shifter (however no wi-fi charger), centre cupholders, a centre console with two spring-loaded lid sections that function in pleasingly tactile vogue, sizeable door bins, a smallish glovebox, and a sun shades holder within the roof.
The general construct high quality and fit-and-finish is superb, it feels sturdy in right here.
The again doorways are longer than the CX-5’s, and whereas they make for barely awkward proportions in my opinion, provide you with a big opening that makes entry noticeably user-friendly.
It’s a superb center seating row, with a heap of foot room, knee room and head room for anybody beneath 2m tall (I’m 194cm) for outboard occupants – nonetheless the centre seat part is small and there a hump within the ground.
The seat bench splits 60:40 (smaller part on the left) and each slides and reclines a number of levels. Occupants don’t simply get a ton of house, however air vents with separate rear fan and temperature controls, and a centre folding armrest with cupholders and USB ports (2.1A).
So the center row may be very spacious by class requirements, however what concerning the third row? In most related SUVs of this measurement the sixth and seventh seats are solely actually spacious sufficient for teenagers, and even then just for occasional use.
The reply is, surprisingly roomy. Even my gangly legs had house, although the roof slope limits headroom and the rearmost home windows are small. Mazda claims a payload of 561kg.
The rearmost seats with their folding headrests additionally tuck neatly into the ground through chunky handles within the again, supplying you with a big loading space, albeit with a slight slope.
Boot capability is a big 775L with the third-row seats folded, and a still-respectable 242L with all three rows in use (together with underfloor storage).
There are bag hooks, tie-downs and a 12V plug, and plastic-lined coated sections beneath the loading ground and behind the wheel wells. A short lived space-saving spare wheel sits beneath the ground.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
There are two engine choices: one petrol and one diesel. There’s no hybrid out there.
The engine examined right here is the ‘G25’ 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol producing outputs of 140kW at 6000pm and 252Nm at 4000rpm, mated to a six-speed automated and front-wheel drive (FWD).
For these after a bit of extra punch there’s a ‘D35’ 2.2-litre twin-turbo diesel with 140kW and 450Nm, and customary all-wheel drive (AWD). The draw back of this superior engine after all, is that it’s a lot dearer, as a result of it’s additionally the one approach to get AWD. The 2 traits are bundled.
Mazda advises braked-trailer towing capability of 1800kg for the petrol and 2000kg for the diesel.
There’s additionally no availability of the smaller CX-5’s flagship turbocharged petrol four-cylinder with 170kW and 420Nm and AWD, which is a little bit of a disgrace for individuals who need a bit of extra urgency from their petrol SUV.
How does the Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring drive?
For errands across the ‘burbs this engine is completely wonderful, and given the G25 Touring is a lower-grade variant it matches the invoice properly sufficient.
It’s definitely no much less highly effective than most entry-level opponents, and it definitely doesn’t overcome the entrance tyres’ traction and create annoyances like wheel spin or axle-tramping.
That mentioned, it’s fairly coarse and loud on chilly begins earlier than finally settling right into a extra muted idle, and with a full load of individuals and stuff you received’t be pinning anybody again of their chairs.
I noticed common gasoline effectivity sitting within the mid-9s per 100km, which is cheap sufficient, and the cease/begin system was easy sufficient to not be an irritant.
There’s little doubt although, that the diesel will supply stronger overtaking punch and higher effectivity. Should you do numerous regional getaways or tow issues, it’s well worth the step up.
When it comes to trip and dealing with Mazda has carried out an incredible job making the CX-8 quiet inside and comfy when absorbing highway bumps and lumps – one thing helped by the smallish wheels with numerous tyre sidewall.
The CX-8 additionally feels fairly balanced in corners, courtesy of well-tuned springs, shocks and roll bars, in addition to a system that may barely scale back engine energy in response to steering angle, thereby altering the burden stability and serving to swerving stability.
It’s not a sizzling hatch, however I’d contemplate the CX-8 a extra snug and composed machine than many rivals.
There’s nothing cutting-edge concerning the chassis, however the MacPherson strut entrance and multi-link rear suspension, electrical energy steering, and 320mm entrance (ventilated) and 325mm rear (strong) disc brakes all combine properly. The turning circle is 11.6m.
Whereas many of the energetic driver-assist aids labored properly, the lane-keeping system was extra reactive than proactive, that means it nudged the automobile away from highway traces however didn’t maintain it robotically centred.
I might additionally favor to see a surround-view digicam as customary for a near-5.0m lengthy car, which doesn’t have the best outboard visibility from all angles as it’s.
What do you get?
CX-8 G25 Sport highlights:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- Energy-folding and heated mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Rear parking sensors
- Reversing digicam
- Head-up show
- Three-zone local weather management
- Auto-dimming rear mirror
- Black material seat trim
- Leather-based-wrapped wheel and shifter
- 10.25-inch centre show
- 7.0-inch instrument meter
- AM/FM/DAB+
- 6-speaker sound system
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
- Wi-fi Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
CX-8 G25 Touring provides:
- Entrance parking sensors
- Proximity sensing keyless entry
- Black leather-based seat trim
- Powered and heated entrance seats
- Rear-seat USB ports
- Paddle shifters
CX-8 G25 GT SP provides:
- 19-inch wheels
- Gloss black entrance grille
- Sunroof
- Powered, remote-operated tailgate
- Steel, wooden inside inserts
- Burgundy or black leather-based trim
- Wi-fi telephone charging
- 10-speaker Bose premium sound system
- Third-row USB ports
- Rear window sunshades
- LED inside lighting
CX-8 G25 Asaki provides:
- Totally different 19-inch wheel design
- Totally different grille and bumper design
- Adaptive LED headlights
- Bigger diameter tailpipe
- Black, quilted nappa leather-based seats
- Ventilated entrance seats
- Heated steering wheel
- 360-degree parking cameras
- Frameless rear-view mirror
- Inside ambient lighting
Is the Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring secure?
The Mazda CX-8 attained a five-star ANCAP security ranking with an older 2018 date stamp, scoring 96 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 87 per cent for little one occupant safety, 72 per cent for weak highway consumer safety, and 73 per cent for security help options.
Commonplace security options embrace:
- Entrance, facet and curtain airbags
- ISOFIX x2 and prime tether x 5
- AEB with night-time pedestrian detection
- Low-speed AEB in reverse
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Automated high-beam
- Rear parking sensors
- Reverse digicam
- Adaptive cruise management, cease & go
- ‘Clever’ velocity limiter
- Visitors signal recognition
- Lane-keep help
- Tyre stress monitoring system
The remaining regime – full ANCAP report right here – discovered the general AEB system good, however famous it has no bike owner detection. It additionally discovered the lane-keeping help with steering intervention merely ‘ample’, which mirrored my expertise: the CX-8 does intercede in the event you cross a highway line, however doesn’t actually maintain you centred within the lane both.
Crash pictures present the facet curtain (head-protecting) airbags do lengthen to the rear-most window, offering a minimum of some cowl for third-row occupants.
How a lot does the Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring value to run?
Mazda supplies a five-year, limitless kilometre guarantee.
Service intervals are both 12 months or 15,000km, at a mean value per-visit over the primary 5 years or 75,000km of $430.
Mazda claims combined-cycle gasoline effectivity of 8.1 litres each 100km utilizing 91 RON common unleaded or E10. The gasoline tank is 72L in capability.
CarExpert’s Tackle Mazda CX-8 G25 Touring
The lower-end Mazda CX-8 variants like this G25 Touring received’t win any magnificence contests or set any land velocity data, and typically you can see the multimedia system a bit irksome.
However what it does supply is a very first rate worth level, a very roomy and household pleasant inside, and good highway manners for this sort of car.
An under-appreciated household hauler that’s extra sense than sensibility. Nothing unsuitable with that, even from a model as ‘aspirational’ as Mazda.
Click on the pictures for the total gallery
MORE: Every thing Mazda CX-8
