Mazda’s Koeru concept previewed the Mazda CX-4 a medium crossover to slot between the CX-3 and CX-5, and is intended to be a Subaru Outback fighter… but it will be China only for now.
MAZDA WILL REVEAL its CX-4 crossover at the Beijing Auto Show in April as it will be a China-only vehicle, for now, the company has announced. The CX-4, Mazda said, will be built and sold in China but already speculation is building that it will roll out into other countries over the next couple of years.
The US and Australia are just such markets that are particularly keen on SUVs/crossovers, and in both markets the CX-4 would go up against the Subaru Outback. Yet, in the two countries the stories are different, in the US, Subaru is the dominant player of the two with the Outback, in 2015 outselling Mazda’s entire CX fleet (CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9 – a new model is being released this year). Here in Australia, however, Mazda is the more popular.
Last year, when the Koeru concept was shown, Mazda’s CEO Masamichi Kogai said the production version of the Koeru, the CX-4, would be a competitor to the Outback and that it would be a new genre for the brand… “It’s a totally new car. It’s a lower, sporty SUV. It’s close to a wagon,” Kogai told Automotive News last year (subscription required).
Releasing the below teaser image of the CX-4, Maxda said: “The CX-4 is the latest addition to Mazda’s new-generation lineup of models featuring the full range of SKYACTIV Technology and KODO-Soul of Motion design. With a striking presence that sets it apart from other SUVs, the functionality modern users expect and Jinba-ittai driving thanks to Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, this is new type of crossover SUV designed to help customers live more creative lives”.
If the CX-4 eventually comes to Australia, would you consider it over a Subaru Outback? No details have been released but we can expect the CX-4 to run a part-time all-wheel drive system.
It’s ironic that we are the largest fan of Mazda and many are waiting for this, yet we are not getting this. The photos are showing the right hand drive. What is the reason of not coming here in the first place?