DRIVEN: Toyota's Hybrid Powertrain Dulls The Edge Of The Mazda CX-50

Im a big fan of the normal Mazda CX-50. It’s a driver’s crossover, a small SUV for customers who previously drove sports cars but now need a bit more space. However, it lacks the mainstream audience of its competitors, like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, as its cabin technology and fuel economy—two of crossover customers’ highest priorities—are lagging behind.

 

So when Mazda announced that it’d be building a CX-50 that keeps everything we love about the way it drives but replaces its small four-cylinder engines with a hybrid powertrain, I was optimistic. The same great sporty chassis, suspension, and steering but with electrified driving and better fuel economy—what’s not to love?