At the recent unveiling of two significantly important models for the brand – the new CX-5 and CX-6e – Mazda Australia Managing Director, Vinesh Bhindi, conceded he would have loved to be launching a hybrid CX-5 to go head-to-head with the segment heavyweights, but any hybrid version of Mazda’s popular medium-SUV must remain faithful to brand DNA.

“Look, we would love to have a hybrid today, and to talk to you about it,” Bhindi told Wheels. “But what was on the table as an option, and I think for Australia (and many other markets), we felt like Mazda needs to create a Mazda hybrid system that will deliver the Mazda feeling.”

Given the choice, Bhindi told Wheels, there was no deliberation. “That’s what we chose,” he said. “A lot of people feel and have said that (a hybrid system for Mazda) could be plug-and-play, that you buy it off someone who’s got one and hope for the best; just do whatever you can in terms of tuning it right.”

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The Japanese manufacturer isn’t opposed to platform-sharing, evidenced by its upcoming 6e electric sedan and CX-6e electric SUV (above), both sourced from partner manufacturers in China. However, Mazda has decided to go it alone, in regard to a hybridised version of its CX-5.

“What our engineers said, what they said they can do with it, and how they could dial it in, that delivers the unique Mazda driving feel,” Bhindi said. “And I’ve driven the prototype. They are onto something special, and with the car we are talking about, the CX-5, that’s the right car to have that technology.

“In the meantime, we’ve still got all of these other hybrid technologies on offer, for that same customer. It may not be in a CX-5 today, but it’s in a similar size, price and value packaging, when it comes to our inline six and our plug-in hybrids and now CX-6e.”