A new look at the 2018 Mazda CX-8 has been handed down today, revealing its exterior styling for the first time.
For now, the view is limited to the CX-8’s profile, showing a subtly tapered roofline and a bolder kink in the glasshouse at the D-pillar. But, as the below image of its CX-9 sibling shows, the difference between the two is far less distinct than pundits might have expected.
Mazda is certainly taking its sweet time unveiling the 2018 Mazda CX-8 as the Zoom-Zoom company published a teaser approximately three months ago and now a new image has been released. While the first one depicted the three-row seating arrangement, the latest picture allows us to see the side profile bearing a striking resemblance to the CX-9. Even diehard Mazda fans will probably have a difficult time figuring out which is which, though the new CX-8 will be narrower and lower.
Although the CX-8 and CX-9 ride on the same 2930mm wheelbase, the CX-8 is shorter overall: 4900mm to the CX-9’s 5075mm. It is also notably narrower (1840mm to 1969mm), and not quite as tall (1730mm to 1747mm).
The CX-8 will also be set apart by its powertrain, which will be a 2.2-litre turbo diesel setup instead of the 2.5-litre turbo petrol unit the rest of the world gets with the CX-9.
It remains to be seen whether Mazda will sell the 2018 Mazda CX-8 in other regions of the world outside its homeland, but don’t hold your breath to find it in a showroom sitting alongside CX-9. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to offer both of them since there would be a great deal of overlap.
Set to be unveiled in the weeks to come, the Mazda CX-8 will go on sale in Japan towards the end of the year and is going to be offered with seating for six or seven people.