Mazda CX-5 Hits 5 Million Units in Cumulative Global Production & Sales

Almost 15 years after the first-gen model debuted, the Mazda CX-5 has just reached its five millionth unit milestone.

It has been almost 15 years since the first-gen Mazda CX-5 was unveiled globally, and this beloved C-SUV has just hit five million units in both its global production and sales volume. This also makes the CX-5 the third-ever Mazda model to reach the five-million-unit milestone, with the previous two being the Mazda3 and the Mazda323.

According to Mazda, the CX-5 SUV has been sold in more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, with the model often ranked as one of the brand’s top-selling models in numerous markets across the globe.

Production of the first-gen CX-5, codenamed KE, started back in 2011 at Mazda’s Ujina Plant No. 2 in Hiroshima, Japan, while its first global unveiling was at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in Sept 2011. Since then, the CX-5 has been assembled in numerous countries around the world, including Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and many more.

Commenting on this milestone, Koichiro Yamaguchi, Program Manager for the CX-5, said, “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all customers and fans around the world who have supported the CX-5. The all-new CX-5 has been fully changed in eight years, further refining its sporty design and driving dynamics.”

First-gen (KE) Mazda CX-5

Throughout its lifetime from 2011 to 2017, the first-gen CX-5 has received numerous accolades around the world, including the 2012-2013 Japan Car of the Year award, plus achieving one million units in cumulative global production later in 2015.

Second-gen (KF) Mazda CX-5 pre-facelift (left) & facelift (right).

The second-gen (KF) model, on the other hand, originally made its global debut at the 2016 Los Angeles Motor Show, followed by a facelift version that debuted globally in 2022, and arrived in Malaysia one year after.

Last but not least, the third-gen (KI) model just made its first global debut in Europe back in July 2025, followed by its first appearance in Japan at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) 2025 later in October. 

Aside from popular markets like Europe, Japan, and the US, the third-gen Mazda CX-5 is also slated to make its debut in Malaysia sometime later in Q3 2026, where it will arrive as a fully-imported (CBU) unit from Japan first, with local assembly (CKD) efforts taking place 12-16 months afterwards.

As for the powertrain, the third-gen CX-5 in Malaysia could feature the same 2.5-litre 4-cyl e-Skyactiv G petrol mild hybrid (MHEV) powertrain used in the European model, with the next-gen Skyactiv-Z global hybrid version arriving at a later stage.