Seeing the New 2026 Mazda CX-5 Up Close Reveals Its Modern Style

Seeing the New 2026 Mazda CX-5 Up Close Reveals Its Modern Style originally appeared on Autoblog.

The newest Mazda SUV shows the OEM’s continued commitment to making beautiful vehicles.

Along with a couple of concept vehicles, the Mazda CX-5 pioneered Mazda’s “Kodo” design language nearly fifteen years ago. As promised, the SUV’s sweeping curves and razor edges trickled down to every model in the lineup. History repeats itself with the debut of the 2026 Mazda CX-5. The automaker says its newest SUV wears design cues that will, again, find their way into every vehicle in the catalog.

With future models following in its footsteps, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 must look modern — not just today, but years from now, too. While the design changes to the CX-5 might seem minor, zooming in on each reveals a distinctly new vehicle with a truly contemporary look.

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Take it all in: the 2026 Mazda CX-5 exterior design at a glance

One subtle detail that makes a huge difference in how the 2026 Mazda CX-5 — and presumably the rest of the Mazda lineup — looks is size. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is 4.5 inches longer than its predecessor and half an inch wider. This means there’s simply more surface area to take in, which gives designers more room to play with proportions and surfaces. The wider and longer proportions emphasize an otherwise very familiar silhouette. It means that, while hard points may remain close to the outgoing model’s, it already looks more dramatic and aggressive than the old CX-5.

Up close, premium details do the heavy lifting. Mazda introduced a new daytime running light signature and slimmer headlight housings that flank a wider front grille. See? Those wider dimensions are already paying dividends. Slimmer headlights look even more aggressive when paired with both a wider grille and overall wider front fascia. Around back, new taillights flank new “Mazda” lettering that replaces the old “M” badge. Adding the word badge adds length to the rear end while also serving to “connect” the new, slimmer tail lights.

Around the side, Mazda demonstrates another core design element. Though we’ve seen it on other models already, the CX-5 wears cladding around the fenders and on the bottom of the car modeled after a Japanese woodworking principle called "Kigumi,” which eschews fasteners like nails in favor of precisely crafted parts that fit together naturally. Its presence here means the cladding will remain in place for future Mazda models. Big 19-inch wheels are the final component of what Mazda says is a look that “embodies flexibility and approachability,” a vehicle just as at-home in urban settings as it is in the great outdoors.

The modern interior design puts technology center stage

The 2026 Mazda CX-5 jumps a decade into the future when you slide into the cabin, too. Gone are most of the buttons and more traditional switchgear, replaced by a standard 12.9-inch display or optional (and pictured) 15.6-inch touchscreen display. Inherited from its predecessor is an overarching luxury feel comprising details you expect to find on vehicles from higher-echelon automakers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Things like leather upholstery with deviated stitching, soft materials on touchpoints like the dashboard, gear selector, and steering wheel, and a moonroof.

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But there are plenty of areas where the 2026 Mazda CX-5 breaks new design ground, too. New for the 2026 Mazda CX-5’s modern design is a split armrest and a new, Cognac-toned interior upholstery color. Both features point to a model moving upmarket. A fully digital gauge cluster is a first for the CX-5, and it’s potentially hiding a driver-facing camera. If the latter is there, it could indicate even more vastly improved driver assistance features. But, Mazda hasn’t commented, so we’ll have to wait and see.

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Final thoughts

Ikuo Maeda, General Manager of Mazda’s design division and the “creator” of the Kodo design language, perhaps sums it up best. “Thanks to our new direction, the job of a designer is no longer focused on maximizing the appeal of every car model, but to make sure that when our cars are lined up together, the line-up fascinates customers.” The new CX-5 shows where the brand is headed for the foreseeable future. And from here, the future looks pretty darn good.

Seeing the New 2026 Mazda CX-5 Up Close Reveals Its Modern Style first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 15, 2025

This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.