Autocar notebook: Mazda CX-50 is forbidden fruit in the UK

Like the look of Mazda’s rugged new US-market crossover, the CX-50? Us too. But don’t hold out hope for it going on sale here.

The firm’s UK boss, Jeremy Thomson, said: “We don’t see a role for it in Europe. It wouldn’t add anything to what we have with Mazda CX-5 today.”

He added that with the all-new, European-market CX-60 arriving here shortly, “a fifth SUV might be a bit much for a manufacturer of our scale”.

The CX-50 will be sold to US customers with either a turbocharged or naturally aspirated version of Mazda's 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine, paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Electrified options including a full hybrid will arrive later.

Trickle Charge

Volvo busted its revenue and profitability records in 2021, despite the supply chain crisis restricting its output in the fourth quarter; but of the nearly 700,000 new cars that it shipped last year, only 3.7% were EVs – a relatively small proportion for a brand that plans to ditch internal combustion entirely in just eight years.

Departing CEO HÃ¥kan Samuelsson explained that “the percentage is related to production capacity”, pledging to boost that proportion to 10% in 2022 as capacity for EV production is increased to 150,000 units per year.

“The strategy has always been, for the first step into electrification, to offer a plug-in hybrid, because we still see problems within the charging networks,” he said, pointing to PHEVs’ 27% share of Volvo sales as a sign that ploy is working.