Mazda’s Best-Selling SUV Reached A Massive Milestone

• Mazda has built over 5 million CX-5 crossovers.
• It’s Mazda’s third model to reach that milestone, joining the Mazda323 and Mazda3.
• Mazda is readying the third-generation CX-5 that goes on sale later this year in the United States.

Mazda has built over five million CX-5 crossovers since production began in 2011—an impressive milestone. The SUV quickly became the automaker’s best-selling vehicle globally. Only two other Mazda models have ever cracked the five-million mark: the Mazda 323 and the Mazda3.  

The automaker revealed the CX-5 at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, becoming Japan’s best-selling domestic crossover in 2012. Mazda would build its one-millionth CX-5 in April 2015 ahead of launching the second-generation CX-5 in late 2016.  

Photo by: Mazda

The CX-5 achieved its best sales year in the United States in 2021 when the automaker sold 168,383 examples of the crossover. Sales have declined since, down to 136,335 in 2025, which is actually up 1.7 percent from the year prior.  

Koichiro Yamaguchi, the CX-5’s program manager, said, “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all customers and fans around the world who have supported the CX-5.”

Mazda is preparing to launch the third-generation CX-5 early this year, and it’s new from the ground up. It’s bigger than before, 4.5 inches longer, with 4.5 inches more between the wheels. Inside, the crossover gets a big screen and no buttons, with the familiar 187-horsepower 2.5-liter under the hood. But a hybrid is coming in 2027.  

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Source: Mazda

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Motor1’s Take: The Mazda CX-5 has stood out for being one of the most engaging crossovers to drive on the market. Mazda’s focus on injecting a bit of fun into an otherwise ho-hum segment has made it quite popular globally, and it’ll be interesting to see if the company can maintain the momentum with the third-gen model.

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