Mazda is keeping the 2027 CX-5 priced where the segment expects it while adding the technology features that have become table stakes for compact crossover buyers. Starting at $29,990 before a $1,595 destination charge, the 2027 model launches today in five trim levels with standard i-Activ all-wheel drive across the lineup, a new Google Gemini AI voice assistant, and enough safety hardware at the base trim to make rivals look thin by comparison.
The CX-5 closed 2025 with 136,335 U.S. sales, up from 134,088 in 2024, making it Mazda’s best-selling model and a consistent performer in a segment that includes the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Rogue. The 2027 model doesn’t chase those competitors on horsepower: the SkyActiv-G 2.5-liter inline-four stays at 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque on 87-octane fuel, paired to a six-speed automatic. That’s a narrower output figure than the CR-V and Rogue offer, and the turbo option that once pushed the CX-5 to 256 hp and 320 lb-ft is no longer in the lineup. What Mazda is leaning on instead is refinement, standard all-wheel drive at every trim, and a safety suite that, on the 2026 model, earned the brand its 100th IIHS Top Safety Pick award.
G-Vectoring Control Plus, Mazda’s electronic brake limited-slip system, comes standard alongside Mi-Drive mode selection covering Normal, Sport, and Off-Road settings. The base 2.5 S already includes Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Speed Limit Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Smart Brake Support front and rear, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Pedestrian Detection, Turn-Across Traffic alert, Emergency Lane Keeping, Vehicle Exit Warning, and a Driver Attention Alert that reads for distraction and fatigue. Front and rear parking sensors and a dynamic rearview camera round out the list. For a $29,990 crossover, that’s a substantive safety roster.
The infotainment center across all trims is a 12.9-inch touchscreen running Mazda Connect with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with Google built-in navigation and the new Gemini AI voice assistant. The 2026 model launched with Google Assistant; Gemini replaces it for 2027 and handles more complex natural-language queries. The shift is the most meaningful technology update the CX-5 carries into the new model year.
The trim ladder climbs in clear steps. The 2.5 S Select at $32,140 adds tinted privacy glass, leatherette seating with microsuede inserts, heated and auto-folding mirrors, wireless phone charging, and keyless entry, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto going wireless as well. The 2.5 S Preferred at $34,550 moves to 19-inch alloy wheels, adds a power liftgate, heated front seats and steering wheel, roof rails, and a color Active Driving Display projected onto the windshield. The 2.5 S Premium at $37,450 brings the exterior black trim treatment, a panoramic sunroof, adaptive front-lighting headlights, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, interior ambient lighting, and a Bose 12-speaker audio system with SiriusXM. At the top, the 2.5 S Premium Plus at $39,440 adds a hands-free power liftgate, Front Cross Traffic Alert and Braking, Driver Monitoring, a 360-degree camera with underfloor view, and Cruising and Traffic Support with Lane Change Assist, which will execute lane changes automatically once the driver signals and conditions are clear. The Premium Plus also swaps the 12.9-inch screen for a 15.6-inch display, adds paddle shifters, and includes the Driver Personalization System from the CX-90, which automatically adjusts mirrors and seating position to stored driver preferences.
Six exterior colors are available: Navy Blue Mica is standard, while Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Polymetal Gray Metallic, Aero Gray Metallic, Machine Gray Metallic, and Rhodium White Metallic each carry a $595 premium.
Mazda has not announced an on-sale date beyond a reference to coming months, which leaves buyers unable to place orders yet. Additional powertrain options, including any electrified variant, have been deferred to announcements in 2027.
The CX-5 has occupied a specific position in this segment for more than a decade: not the most powerful option, not the cheapest, but the one buyers choose when they want a crossover that feels like it was designed rather than assembled by committee. At $29,990 with standard AWD and a safety suite that most competitors layer behind option packages, the 2027 model defends that position without asking buyers to pay more for it.
Source: Mazda. Images courtesy of Mazda.
