There’s a good argument to be made that all new cars should be electrified, and the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid does little to disprove it. The long-anticipated third powertrain for the charmingly-rugged compact SUV arrives for the 2025 model year, with the promise of better fuel economy, further driving between gas station stops, and yet very nearly the same practicality.
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Launched in 2022, the CX-50 followed the same strategy as had worked so well with the CX-30, with which it shares a platform. Slightly larger and markedly burlier than the existing CX-5, not to mention more expensive, it saw electrification-averse Mazda stick with gas-only engines to begin with: a cheaper naturally-aspirated inline-four, and a far punchier turbo version.
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Despite being offered in China from late 2023, the hybrid is only now making it to U.S. dealerships. Mazda didn’t cook up the CX-50 Hybrid’s drivetrain on its own, mind. Instead, it turned to Toyota for a version of its fellow Japanese automaker’s gas-electric system.
