While the ASEAN region is still waiting for the promised arrival of the CX-8, Mazda has just announced that their 7-seater crossover has undergone a refresh in its home market of Japan. And just like its CX-5 sibling, the CX-8 now gets the option of a turbocharged gasoline engine among a slew of other improvements.

Once solely available with a diesel engine, the CX-8 can now be had in Japan with a choice between two gasoline engines, both shared with the CX-5. The first is the normally-aspirated 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G pushing out 190 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 252 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Like its application in the recently launched 2019 Mazda6, it also receives a cylinder deactivation feature for improved fuel consumption. This is joined by the turbocharged Skyactiv-G 2.5T which boosts the CX-8’s outputs to 230 horsepower at 4,250 rpm and 420 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm—while, get this, running on regular unleaded gasoline.

The 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D engine remains as a third engine option for the CX-8.


Aside from the new powertrains, the CX-8 also gets improved handling courtesy of G-Vectoring Plus. This system, also found in the CX-5, adds selective wheel braking to GVC’s engine torque management to keep the car in the direction the driver intended.

Tweaks have also been done to improve the comfort and quietness via enhanced sound insulation, especially in the third row and around the cargo area; the same improvements, curiously done to the CX-9 as well.

Aesthetically, the CX-8 receives some minor tweaks with new colors for the wheels, a refreshed climate control panel, a new 7-inch full-color TFT multi-function display embedded in the gauges, a frameless door mirror, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built-in the Mazda Connect infotainment system, and added ambient interior lighting using LEDs.