Faced with sluggish global sales racked up by its core SUVs, Mazda is preparing a major strategy shift, committing to a comprehensive overhaul of its flagship utility lineup.
Speaking with Japan’s Chugoku Shimbun, Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro acknowledged that sales of the SUVs that form the core of its lineup fell well short of expectations. And he confirmed that the brand will execute upgrades on a “scale unprecedented to date” across its quartet of Large Architecture SUVs: the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.
Note that of those models, only the CX-70 and CX-90 are currently offered in Canada, alongside the smaller CX-30 and CX-5.
Disappointing results
The decision stems from a sharp discrepancy between Mazda’s premium ambitions and market reality. During its 2025 fiscal year, Mazda targeted combined global sales of 200,000 units for its rear-wheel-drive-based, inline-6 SUV family. Actual deliveries reached only 150,637 units. That’s a significant shortfall and it was particularly pronounced in a market accounting for more than half of all Large Architecture sales: the United States.
Hampered by U.S. import tariffs and volatile market conditions, first-half 2026 deliveries for the CX-70 dropped 29 percent in the U.S., and the CX-90 fell 24 percent. Sales for the narrower CX-60 and CX-80 in Europe and Japan experienced similar double-digit declines.
Not just your average mid-cycle tweaks
In response, Mazda executive leadership is moving beyond standard mid-cycle facelifts. Moro stated that the upcoming revisions will encompass extensive redesigns to the exterior, interior and powertrains. “We will cultivate these into products that people will say are Mazda’s flagship,” Moro noted. “It will take time, but we will definitely achieve this.”
Skyactiv-Z
Of the elements being focused on, the powertrain updates are the most crucial. The current lineup features mild-hybrid inline-6 engines and plug-in hybrid setups and is notably bereft of conventional, high-efficiency hybrids. Mazda plans to integrate its next-generation Skyactiv-Z engine tech alongside technical elements from an in-house-developed hybrid system. That should happen between 2028 and 2030, and it will give the automaker a more competitive alternative in a hybrid-heavy market.
In the short term, Mazda North America Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Guyton confirmed that the automaker will focus on putting forward the models' strong safety ratings as a selling point, this while product enhancements are readied.
The rollout schedule for the updated SUVs hasn’t yet been detailed.