- The new 2023 Mazda CX-50 crossover will eventually offer a hybrid model.
- Mazda confirmed that the hybrid powertrain will be sourced from Toyota.
- The CX-50 will be built in the same Alabama factory as the Toyota Corolla Cross.
Mazda will collaborate with Toyota on the upcoming hybrid version of the 2023 CX-50 crossover, as vehicle dynamics engineer Dave Coleman confirmed that the SUV's gas-electric drivetrain will come from Toyota. The company isn't sharing any further details on the CX-50 hybrid yet, but it will be Mazda's first hybrid model since the Tribute, a twin to the Ford Escape.
The CX-50 already has ties to Toyota, as it will be built in a new factory in Alabama shared between the two automakers. However, Coleman said that the nonhybrid CX-50—which uses a Mazda platform and Skyactiv gasoline engines—does not share any parts with the Toyota Corolla Cross that's also built there. The two crossovers are built on separate lines and fit into different size classes, with the Corolla Cross competing against subcompact SUVs and the CX-50 serving as a compact entry.
We think that the CX-50 hybrid will use a similar setup as the Toyota RAV4 hybrid, which has a 2.5-liter inline-four as its gasoline engine and two electric motor-generators. A hybrid version of the Corolla Cross is also in the cards, but, because of its smaller size, its powertrain is not likely to be powerful enough for the larger CX-50.
Expect to hear more about the CX-50 hybrid next year, as Mazda will likely release details a few months after the nonhybrid models go on sale in the spring.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
