2018 Mazda CX-8 pricing revealed

Mazda’s brand-new CX-8 three-row SUV will arrive in July priced from $42,490.

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Bridging the gap between the CX-5 and CX-9, the fastback-styled CX-8 will be an all-diesel affair with three variants; the Sport FWD, Sport AWD, and the range-topping Asaki AWD.

Each is powered by the 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre SKYACTIV-D twin-turbo diesel found in the new Mazda 6 and will feature a wide range of the Japanese brand’s ACTIVSENSE safety technologies as standard, including autonomous emergency braking.

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Built on the CX-5’s platform, the CX-8 was only meant to be available in Japan, where the CX-9 isn’t sold, but Mazda Australia pushed hard to bring it Down Under because of its potential to meet growing demand for seven-seat diesel-engined SUVs – something the bigger 2.5-litre turbo petrol-only CX-9 can’t offer.

The CX-8 Sport FWD is $1600 cheaper than the entry-level CX-9 Sport FWD. That price gap might seem paltry, but it’s worth bearing in mind that Mazda’s diesel powertrains attract a $3000 premium. The massive $15K price bump between the Sport and Asaki model is due to omission more than anything. There’s currently no imported equivalent to the CX-9’s mid-grade GT trim in the CX-8 portfolio. That may well change as supply frees up.

The CX-8 features a more sporty suspension tune than the others and gains beefier brakes, with 432mm ventilated discs up front and a larger master cylinder helping to improve stopping performance.

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Full features and specifications will be revealed at its Australian launch at the end of this month.

2018 Mazda CX-8 Diesel pricing

• CX-8 Sport FWD - $42,490
• CX-8 Sport AWD - $46,490
• CX-8 Asaki AWD - $61,490