Hybrid SUVs are all the rage in Australia right now, with many brands offering at least one in their range. But one car maker that doesn’t offer a proper hybrid SUV in Australia is Mazda. Sure, its large platformed cars like the CX-60 and CX-80 feature both mild- and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, but what if you want a Toyota-style cordless hybrid? Annoyingly for some, it does offer one that’s not available in Australia: the Mazda CX-50.

On sale in markets such as North America and China since early 2022, the Mazda CX-50 uses the same platform as the Mazda3 and CX-30, and is sized quite similarly to the CX-5.

But instead of being a CX-5 replacement as was expected when it was revealed, the CX-50 sits alongside the CX-5 offering more of an off-road vibe and – the thing we think would make it particularly successful in Australia – a 2.5-litre hybrid drivetrain with an eCVT transmission.

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If that sounds familiar, it is, because the Mazda CX-50 actually uses the very same hybrid system that features in the Toyota RAV4. It’s all part of a deal between Mazda and Toyota, who built a new factory in Alabama USA together where the CX-50 and US-spec Toyota Corolla Cross are produced. As part of the deal, Mazda’s lovely ‘Soul Red’ colour is actually available on domestic Corolla Cross models. Seriously.

In North America, the Mazda CX-50 is also available with turbocharged and non-turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engines – the same ones as the CX-5 – and the same six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system as well.

North American pricing for the CX-50 starts at US$29,900 ($45,800 AUD) for the entry-level Select grade, and tops out at US$43,000 ($66,000) for the top-spec Turbo Premium Plus. Hybrid models are rarer than their petrol-only equivalents and are priced from US$34,750 ($53,300). That’s around $5000-$6000 more than a CX-5 would cost in Australia, but in the US, the CX-50 only starts at US$850 higher than the CX-5, so it would likely start closer to the Aussie CX-5’s $36,740 plus on-road costs if sold here.

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All of this appears an upside for Mazda Australia, which could definitely have stronger sales if it had a proper hybrid SUV in its line-up. Alas, the Mazda CX-50 is only going to be made in left-hand drive form and the company is developing its own hybrid system for the new CX-5, leaving Mazda Australia in the lurch for now. Shame, because we think the CX-50 looks great and would definitely sell well here.