Tokyo 2017: Mazda CX-8 – Malaysia Bound

Officially unveiled last month, the Mazda CX-8 SUV was designed for those looking for an SUV larger than the CX-5 yet smaller than the CX-9.

Although it was initially slated only for Japan, the company later announced that the seven seater SUV will be heading to other markets in the world, and guess what? Malaysia is one of the countries that has requested for it.

That being said, we came across the CX-8 at the Tokyo Motor Show last week and it looks just as good as it looked in pictures.

In Japan, the CX-8 is powered exclusively by a 2.2-litre turbodiesel SkyActiv-D engine but if it comes here, our guess is that it will be a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine.

Similar to the Mazda CX-9, the CX-8 is also a three-row SUV, but the difference is that the latter is available in either six- or seven-seater configurations.

If customers opt for the six-seater version of the Mazda CX-8, the second row gets a pair of captain seats with a large storage compartment in between.

Bermaz, the authorised distributors of Mazda vehicles in Malaysia did not specify a timeline for the upcoming Mazda CX-8, but a debut some time in 2018 is likely.