2024 Mazda CX-50 Release Date: Mazda’s Most Popular Model – If you saw this upcoming 2024 Mazda CX-50, that debuted early last year and will become available at dealerships this spring, you may assume it is the successor to the CX-5, the company’s best-selling model. But for some reason, the automaker has decided to market the two crossovers as direct competitors despite their obvious similarities in size and cost. Cannibalization of sales seems likely with this somewhat larger as well as tougher looking CX-50 competing on the market.
After driving the CX-50 for a day on winding roads in Southern California and some unpaved paths that are likely more difficult than anything the CX-50’s intended buyer will ever attempt, I am persuaded that this is a massively different car from of the urbane CX-5 beyond the numbers. Maybe this is precisely what Mazda requires to compete with other, more rugged brands.
2024 Mazda CX-50 Changes
Exterior Design
Although superficially similar to the CX-5, the CX-50 is constructed on the same platform as that of the CX-30 along with the most recent Mazda3. Compared to a Mazda CX-5, new CX-50 is 6.78″ longer overall plus 3.2″ wider across the doors and the back seat. A 2.3″ lower roofline than its sister and a more sinister blacked-out variant of Mazda’s wing headlight and grill pair help to draw attention to the car’s wider stance. Mirror to mirror, this CX-50 is around 2.6″ narrower than the average car, which might comes in useful when parking in a garage or other place with limited clearance.
The CX-50 has an extra inch of ground clearance compared to the CX-5, measuring 8.4″ for the S versions and 8.7″ for the Turbo, and is accentuated by black plastic wrapping across on its bottom body as well as wheel arches. That’s on par with comparable SUVs in the soft-roading category, like the Subaru Outback (8.8 inches) and the much expensive Audi A4 Allroad (8.2″). This Mazda CX-50’s dimensions are closer to those of tall wagons that of Mazda’s other, less upright SUV.
Maybe Mazda is right that all you need to take the CX-50 off-road is some experience and a light right foot. To be truthful, I probably would have benefited more from a set of tires designed for mud driving rather than have from yet another electronic gadget during my shaky drop. The Turbo comes standard with 20″ wheels as well as 245/45R20 all-season tires, but the premium Meridian Editions, that will be added to the roster after the launch, will have 18″ wheels as well as tires with more aggressive treads to improve its off-road performance. It still seems to me that novice explorers could use some form of crawl control technology.
Tow mode replace Sport mode on MI-Drive when a trailer is connected via the Mazda wiring harness as well as the vehicle is fitted wit Mazda’s towing kit. When engaged, the transmission, AWD, as well as GVC all function at their peak to improve stability and counteract the shift in weight distribution that occurs when towing a big load behind the vehicle. As is typical of midsize SUVs, mazda CX-50 S can tow a trailer weighing up to 2,001 pounds, while a Turbo variants can tow up to 3,501 pounds.
Interior Design
The CX-50 has more interior capacity than the CX-5, including a longer rear cargo floor and more comfortable second-row seats. The CX-50 has 38.7″ of headroom at the front (lower 1.2″ compared to the CX-5) as well as 37.6″ in the back row (down 1.6″ compared to the CX-5) when fitted with Mazda’s first panorama sunroof, but the massively reduced height making loading as well as unloading the roof rack quicker.
However, this Mazda Connect multimedia system is a bit hit or miss. A 10.4″ central display is regular on most CX-50 trims, as well as it is operated by a mechanical knob and buttons located just on center console. To the extent that you use only the Mazda’s built-in navigation as well as audio sources, this system is straightforward and simple to use. 2024 Mazda CX-50 Release Date
If you wish to use a common wireless system like Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay, though, you’ll run into some additional challenges. To use one of these smartphone mirroring methods, the central display must be touched. The display, however, is buried so deeply in the dash that accessing it requires bending over. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that operating the touchscreens is impossible while the car is in motion. Using the physical controller to move through these UIs seems quite odd because it’s often hard to foresee where the cursor will travel in response to a twisted knob or nudged button. Everything about it is disappointing.
The 2024 CX-50 comes standard with a lot of helpful technology for drivers. This features blind spot, emergency braking, including a cruise control system that functions in stop and go driving, as well as lane assist. Mazda’s Traffic Jam Assist is an upgraded version of it’s own hands-on steering assistance as well as adaptive cruise technology that enables more accurate lane centering as well as smoother operations when traffic volumes dip under 40 mph, so it comes standard on the Turbo model.
2024 Mazda CX-50 Engine
Two variants of Mazda’s 2.5L Skyactiv-G engines are available for the CX-50. S versions with a naturally aspirated engine generate 188 horses as well as 187 lb-ft of torque. The output of the turbo versions is increased to 257 horsepower plus 321 of torque when running on premium 94 octane fuel. If you fill up with 88 octane fuel instead, you’ll only get 227 horsepower plus 311 of torque, but that’s still respectable and might be an acceptable compromise in light of today’s high cost of gasoline.
Because of its wider track as well as lowered center of mass, the CX-50 feels more grounded than the already outstanding and enjoyable CX-5 on a winding mountain road, letting the turbocharged engine shine more brightly while accelerating out of a turn. This engine has enough of oomph for overtaking on straight stretches.
Its naturally aspirated CX-50 S utilizes cylinder deactivation technology to achieve EPA-estimated averages of 25 city miles per gallon, 31 mpg highway, as well as 28 mixed mpg on the highway and within the city respectively. The somewhat more fuel-hungry Turbo models get an expected 24 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, plus 25 mpg on the combined drive. Mazda’s i-Activ AWD and a smooth-shifting 6 automatic gearbox come standard. 2024 Mazda CX-50 Release Date
With the flip of a simple button in the center console, the CX-50’s power can be adapted to the situation thanks to the Mazda Smart Drive Select as well as MI-Drive drive modes. Mazda claims that the lack of noticeable differences between the four modes is intentional, as the company’s concept about drive mode entails that the CX-50 must seem like the same car with identical driving dynamics, with the modes silently adapting for varied conditions.
While the default setting, “Normal,” provides well-rounded performance, the “Sport” setting “awakens” the powertrain by enhancing throttle response and modifying the transmission’s programmed to keep revs longer as well as higher in the powerband. (This setting also eliminates downshifts in the middle of corners, which could throw off the CX-50’s stability or slow it down as it exits the turn.) More power is sent to the back wheels during acceleration, while the rear axle torque is completely decreased during cornering in Sport mode to prevent understeer. Here, Mazda’s G-Vectoring Management handling system is activated in a more robust fashion.
Through minute modifications to engine torque, GVC transfers more of the vehicle’s weight to the front tyres during cornering. This increases the vehicle’s responsiveness to steering inputs and its ability to maintain traction. To put it simply, GVC reduces engine torque somewhat to load it up a front tires, which improves their traction and creates a satisfyingly hefty steering feel. In Sport mode, the torque as well as weight transfer are accentuated, further improving initial turn-in grip, steering response, and stability. In practice, the system is unnoticeable; drivers won’t notice the loss of torque, but they will noticeably and greatly enjoy the improvements to steering weight and input.
The CX-50 has a special Off-Road mode designed to make driving on unpaved surfaces seem as smooth and as secure as on asphalt. In order to achieve this, it makes more aggressive use out of GVC to aid the front wheels in digging into looser substrate also sends more torque towards the rear end to aid in cornering stability. The CX-50 can sense when it’s pointed uphill and adjusts the idle speed accordingly. This is because the traction control system, which is based on the transmission and brakes, is also tuned to enhance low-speed grip.
Both in Normal as well as Off settings, I examined the CX-50’s capability on muddy terrain. It’s the cumulative effect of the minor differences in the two settings that makes such a big deal out on the path. In particular, Off-Road mode allowed me to make far less abrupt and subtle adjustments to the steering wheel in order to maintain the SUV travelling in the direction I wanted it to go. Extra ride height won’t make the CX-50 a rock climber, but it will give you more room to maneuver and a more comfortable angle of approach while driving over rough terrain.
Crawl assistance and terrain-specific programs are currently absent. It only has one Off-Road setting, and it doesn’t even have hill descent control. According to Mazda’s official line, custom terrain modes are cumbersome and variable in their performance. They believe that all you need is a brake pedal that is strong and easy to modulate. The CX-50 excelled at the challenge of climbing some fairly steep inclines. However, descending an equally rough and steep gradient felt much like as a barely managed tumble, also with anti-lock brake working hard to keep the speed under control.
2024 Mazda CX-50 Release Date and Price
Along with the $1,226 delivery fee, the basic price of a CX-50 2.5 S is $28,026, which places it a little over the price of a CX-5 ($27,126) but close to the price of a base Subaru Outback ($28,321). CX-50 Turbos start at $37,626, although my tested Turbo Premium Plus model with Zircon Metallic paint added in for $396 brings the grand total to $42,776. This Mazda is a little more costly than the Subaru Outback Touring XT 41,321), but they are all similarly equipped. 2024 Mazda CX-50 Release Date
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