Exterior design has always been a central part of the Mazda CX-5’s character and success. As the first production model to adopt Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy it set new standards for Mazda’s styling and firmly established Mazda as a producer of SUVs that visually embodied the sports utility vehicle ethos.

Across both the first two generations the CX-5’s styling evolved, developing a distinctive look loved by media and customers alike. Now building on these proven foundations the all-new third-generation CX-5 takes the styling of Mazda’s most popular SUV to the next level with a more confident and modern design that’s still unmistakably CX-5.

Longer, wider and taller than the outgoing car, its bolder proportions and sleek detailing deliver an overall styling package that ensures the Mazda CX-5 is visually more desirable than ever. Yet the ‘reimaging the familiar’ principles of the design ensures that the all-new Mazda CX-5 retains the functional yet stylish approachability of the previous generation models.

With a 115mm longer wheelbase, 15mm of extra width and 30mm of increased height, the optimised dimensions have allowed Mazda’s designers to make the cabin more spacious at the same time as creating exterior styling that delivers a more dynamic posture on the road. Central to this fresh look is a planted stance that emphasises the CX-5’s sporty nature by visually grounding the vehicle at each corner through a balanced combination of muscular wheel arches and tauter proportions.

As is always the case with Mazda’s exterior design, there’s attention to the detail as well - an example being the distinctive trapezoidal shape defines the boundary between the body and lower cladding, visually reinforcing the CX-5’s rigidity. This element draws inspiration from ‘Kigumi’, the traditional Japanese woodworking technique in which structures are precisely interlocked without nails. In a similar way, the upper and lower sections of the CX-5 appear seamlessly yet firmly connected, expressing structural integrity and Mazda’s ‘Crafted with Japanese Soul’ philosophy. On Homura models these wheel arch mouldings and the matching lower bumper trims are gloss black, while on other grades they are satin black.

At the front, the all-new CX-5’s higher nose provides a visually more substantial front-end, and to emphasise width, the bumper openings are wider - reinforcing visual balance. As is common across the Mazda range, the signature wing grille surround sits at the heart of the front-end styling and on the all-new CX-5 its position between the sharply designed headlight units helps the CX-5 exude confidence. With front-end styling that is both expressive and stylish, a lower visual centre of gravity adds to the CX-5’s dynamism.

The side profile continues Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy of combining organic surface transitions with crisp lines to convey motion and simplicity. Expanding the wheelbase has given the car more visual presence in profile while still retaining the sleek CX-5 silhouette. At the rear, widening the track by 15mm has given the CX-5 a more grounded stance, while the linear LED rear light signature delivers a clean and modern look. Additionally, bold spaced ‘MAZDA’ lettering replaces the traditional Mazda badge on the tailgate for a standout modern look. 

Wheel options start with the Prime-Line’s 17-inch grey metallic wheels that are designed to visually work with 225/65/R17 high-profile tyres to give a rugged look. Centre-Line and Exclusive-Line models have a machined silver/black 19-inch alloy wheel design with a 225/55/R19 tyre profile, while the Homura has a gloss black wheel design of the same size.

Matched to the Homura’s gloss black wheelarch surrounds and lower bumper trims this gives the range-topping model a sporty ‘all-black’ lower area look. The Homura also features a signature LED daylight running light set-up, while all models from Centre-Line upwards feature rear window privacy glass and gloss black roof rails.

The all-new Mazda CX-5 is offered with eight exterior colours: Arctic White, Aero Grey, Jet Black, Polymetal Grey, Machine Grey, Rhodium White and Soul Red Crystal. Making its debut on the CX-5 is a new Mazda colour: Navy Blue, which is designed to complement the refined character of the latest CX-5 thanks to a balanced combination of different types of mica in the finish to achieve strong contrast and vividness in bright sunshine yet deep elegance at night.