Mazda has announced that it will stop production of the CX-8 in Japan in late December 2023, nearly six years after it made its global debut way back in September 2017. Today’s announcement comes following Mazda Australia’s official statement a day earlier where it confirmed that Australia-bound production will cease for the CX-8 at the end of this year.
According to the latter release, the decision is part of the carmaker’s strategy to introduce a range of new electrified models between now and 2025, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Curiously, the fully electric MX-30 was also named as one of the models that will be dropped from Mazda Australia’s line-up – the CX-8 and MX-30 will remain on sale throughout the first quarter of 2024 in the country.
The decision to axe the CX-8 in Japan is likely due to the imminent arrival of the CX-80, which will be the latest addition to the carmaker’s Large Product group that has seen the debut of the CX-60 and CX-90 – there’s also the CX-70 on the way.
In Malaysia, the CX-8 was introduced in 2019 as a locally-assembled (CKD) model, with the three-row SUV receiving an update just last June. We’ve checked with official distributor Bermaz Motor and were told that CKD production of the CX-8 will continue here until 2026. The SUV is currently offered in five variants (three NA petrol, one turbo petrol and one turbodiesel), with prices ranging from RM185,360.40 to RM221,360.40 on-the-road without insurance.
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