Mazda MX-8 launched in Australia, becomes second 3-row SUV from the company

KUALA LUMPUR: The Mazda CX-8, which is a three-row SUV, is now made available in Australia. It becomes the second Mazda 3-row car, after the CX-9, to be sold in the southern country. However, the good news here is that the company will be bringing the SUV to Malaysia too as Bermaz Auto, the official Mazda distributor in the country expressed its interest in the SUV during the ceremony that was held at the CX-5 roll-out.

The Mazda CX-8 is a little under five metres in length, which makes it shorter than the CX-9. However, the two cars share the same wheelbase of 2,930 mm. The new car rides on 17-inch wheels as standard, which are wrapped in 225-section tyres. There are LED headlamps and halogen DRLs. Inside, there is an infotainment system of MZD Connect that sports a 7-inch touchscreen display, along with fabric-covered seats and a reverse parking camera.

Under the hood, the newly introduced Mazda CX-8 is powered by a 2.2-litre SkyActiv diesel engine that has a four-cylinder layout and is turbocharged. It can make a maximum power of 188 PS at 4,500 RPM along with a peak torque of 450 Nm at 2,000 RPM. The transmission is carried by a 6-speed automatic transmission gearbox and optional AWD drivetrain. It is the same engine that is available for the Japanese market.

This engine, when compared to the CX-9, is slightly less powerful but churns out more torque at the same time. The bigger sibling is powered by a 2.5-litre SkyActiv petrol engine which makes 228 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque.

The top end model of the Mazda CX-8 has 19-inch wheels, LED DRLs, and fog lamps. The seats are wrapped with Nappa leather. Some other goodies include a 10-speaker set from Bose and a 360-degree monitor. The driver’s seat is 10-way adjustable along with the memory function.

The base variant of the Mazda CX-8 is priced at AUD 43,890 while the top end model is priced at AUD 61,490. The Malaysian launch may happen sometime towards the end of this year or the first half of 2019.