2023 Mazda CX-50 First Drive: Adventurers, Welcome to Mazda
Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2023 Mazda CX-50.
Montreal, QC - With spring gradually taking hold, it's time for folks to start hitting the road, both paved and not, for a bit of weekend adventuring. And that's exactly who the new 2023 Mazda CX-50 is designed for. This is the Japanese automaker's most robust product since the Tribute and B-Series left the scene (more than a decade ago in the case of the pickup).
But the newcomer isn't a truck based on a ladder chassis like that dearly departed B-Series. In fact, the CX-50 takes its platform from the CX-30 and Mazda3, and enters the lineup as the outdoorsy complement to the brand’s other popular compact crossover, the CX-5. In other words, the CX-50 is the option for those heading away from home on weekends, in contrast with the CX-5 and its more urban appeal, according to the manufacturer.
To be clear, marketing pitches aside, it’s not like the existing models in Mazda’s lineup are incompetent on rougher terrain, especially those that come standard with all-wheel drive. But this one looks the part more than any other. So there's that.
In any event, the setting for our introduction to a GT Turbo version of the 2023 CX-50 was a rainy day in March. Those who have already identified this as their next vehicle, take note: the CX-50 should debut at dealership sometime in early May.
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