The Mazda CX-8 will be available in just two grades, Sport and Asaki and in both 2WD and AWD with pricing kicking off at $42,490+ORC.

THE MAZDA CX-8 will go on-sale in Australia in July with prices starting at $42,490+ORC for the entry-level Sport 2WD. The CX-8 will eschew other brands moves towards reducing their diesel-powered variants and be exclusively diesel.

Under the bonnet will be a 2.2L SKYACTIV-D twin-turbo diesel engine making 140kW and 450Nm of torque. The CX-8 will slot in between the CX-5 and the CX-9. While the CX-8 sits on the same platform as the CX-9, it’s shorter, narrower and not quite as tall: 4900mm (5075mm); 1840mm (1969mm) and 1730mm (1740mm).

The CX-8 will carry Mazda’s i-Activesense safety suite as standard which includes things like autonomous emergency braking and lane-assist. The interior of the CX-8 will offer the same sort of ‘premium’ quality of other vehicles in the range, like the refreshed Mazda6 we recently tested. The MZD Connect sits atop the dashboard that in the top-spec Askai variant is soft-touch. Indeed, you can expect a step-up in quality compared to the older CX-9. Those in the back seat will find heated seats and their own climate controls…what room the third-row seats offer remains to be seen.

Pricing for the CX-8 starts from $42,490+ORC for the entry level Sport FWD. The Sport AWD variant will retail from $46,490+ORC, while the Asaki will start at $61,490+ORC.

Managing Director of Mazda Australia, Vinesh Bhindi, said: “Brand-New Mazda CX-8 shares the uncompromising quality, style, comfort and safety features that customers know and expect of a Mazda,” he said.

“This, paired with the efficiency and economy of the most advanced SKYACTIV diesel engine on offer, makes the Mazda CX-8 an enticing proposition for Australians needing an added level of versatility.”

Practical Motoring is attending the local launch of the CX-8. Stay tuned for our first-drive review.