Mazda has been spotted testing a prototype for a three-row mid-size SUV to be called the CX-80.
It’s essentially a shorter, narrower version of the 2024 CX-90 three-row mid-size SUV, and is designed to suit roads in markets like Japan and Europe. It will serve as the replacement for Mazda’s CX-8 in Japan and the few other markets that receive the older three-row SUV.
The prototype resembles a stretched version of Mazda’s CX-60 two-row compact crossover on sale outside the U.S. This means the CX-80 should be longer than the 186.8 inches of the CX-60 but shorter than the 199.4 inches of the CX-90.
There’s no shot of the interior but this is also likely to be a match with the CX-60. The same design also features in the CX-90.
2023 Mazda CX-60
Also common to the CX-60 and CX-90 will be the CX-80’s platform, in this case Mazda’s newly developed rear-wheel-drive platform. The platform is designed for vehicles in Mazda’s premium Large Product Group, and will eventually spawn a two-row crossover for the U.S. that will be called a CX-70.
Internal-combustion engines for the platform feature longitudinal mounting. The platform also benefits from double wishbone suspension up front and a multi-link setup at the rear.
Mazda hasn’t announced specifications for the CX-80 but the powertrains will likely be shared with the CX-60. This would mean the choice of gas, diesel, or plug-in hybrid options. The CX-60’s gas and diesel engines feature 3.3-liter turbo-6 designs, while the plug-in hybrid pairs a 2.5-liter inline-4 with a single electric motor.
The CX-80 is scheduled to debut later this year. The U.S.-bound CX-70 is also thought to debut this year.
