BY TUNG NGUYEN | 29th Jun 2018
MAZDA Australia has a strong line-up when it comes to its crossover offerings, with the CX-3 playing in the small space, the fan-favourite CX-5 dominating the mid-size segment and the petrol-only CX-9 available to large SUV buyers.
Australia’s second-most popular car-maker has introduced a new player to the game, with the all-new CX-8 sitting between the CX-5 and CX-9 in size and price, and offering the former’s 2.2-litre diesel engine and the latter’s seven-seat capacity.
Now better able to take the fight to the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008 – which all offer diesel alternatives next to petrol variants – Mazda is aiming for about 3000 CX-8 sales in the first 12 months on sale, but is the smaller large SUV a compelling enough substitute for the excellent CX-9?