It’s a driver’s crossover, a small SUV for customers who previously drove sports cars but now need a bit more space. However, it lacks the mainstream audience of its competitors, like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4,

The CX-50 Hybrid shoots Mazda straight to the top of a busy segment. A Honda CR-V Hybrid might still be the better all-rounder, but the Mazda scores highly when it comes to both driving and design, all the while sipping fuel like a RAV4 Hybrid. It is welcome proof that sensible cars can be desirable too.

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.