The compact hybrid SUV market has an agile new option with the arrival of the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid. It’s the brand’s first traditional hybrid.

The EPA rates the CX-50 Hybrid at a combined 38 mpg (6.2 L/100 km), which is quite a lot better than the 28 mpg (8.4 L/100 km) of the version with Mazda's 2.5 L Skyactiv engine while offering more power at the same time.

In addition to the 2.5 ICE, the CX-50 also has three electric motors. Two of them are on the front transaxle. One’s a small motor/generator that functions as both a starter and provides some drive power, while the other is a “much more powerful traction motor that does most of the heavy electrified lifting,” said Chen.

And things didn’t look any brighter last summer, when Mazda launched the new EV-6, its first global electric sedan. U.S. would-be buyers never got to share the enthusiasm genera

The CX-50 lineup isn't radically different for the 2025 model year, with the hybrid powertrain being the most significant addition. Mazda will offer the CX-50 Hybrid in Preferred, Premium, and Premium Plus trim levels, straddling the middle ground between the gas and turbo options.

THS (that's Toyota Hybrid System) in a Mazda CX-50. That'll blow their minds at the next Cars & Coffee, partner. Imagine: You've got the hood up on your Mazda with a crowd leaning in, onlookers saying things like,

Mazda's stylish crossover gets some electrified power, courtesy of a Toyota hybrid system, but is the CX-50 the complete package?