2026 vs 2024 Mazda CX-50: 3 Crucial Upgrades Importers Must Know Before Buying

Short answer: the 2026 Mazda CX-50 keeps the 2024 car's body, 2.5L engine and gearbox, but adds three things importers care about — a cheaper 2.0L engine option, a fully equipped 2.5L Premium trim, and factory option packages. If you need one uniform specification for a fleet, the 2024 car still makes sense; if you stock a showroom, the 2026 line-up gives you more price points.

All figures below come from the manufacturer's China-market configuration sheets for the 2024 Mazda CX-50 and the 2026 Mazda CX-50, both built by Changan Mazda.

What stayed the same?

The platform is unchanged. Both years share the 4,785 × 1,920 × 1,638 mm body, 2,815 mm wheelbase, 55-litre tank, MacPherson strut front and torsion-beam rear suspension, and a 6-speed automatic gearbox driving the front wheels. The 2.5L Touring trim is mechanically identical in both years: 138 kW, 250 N·m and 7.35 L/100 km (WLTC).

Core safety is also common to both: full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane centring, autonomous emergency braking, a 360° camera and front and rear parking sensors on the Touring trim.

Upgrade 1: Is there a cheaper engine in 2026?

Yes. The 2024 CX-50 was sold only as a 2.5L Touring. The 2026 range brings back the 2.0L PE engine (114 kW, 200 N·m, 7.20 L/100 km) in the 2.0L Advance trim, alongside two 2.5L trims.

For importers this matters more than it sounds. A 2.0L entry trim lets dealers advertise a lower starting price while selling 2.5L cars to buyers who want more torque. In some markets, engine displacement also affects import duties or registration fees — ask your clearing agent whether 2.0L vs 2.5L changes your landed cost.

Upgrade 2: What does the 2.5L Premium add?

The 2026 2.5L Premium is a new top trim that the 2024 line-up did not have. Compared with the 2024 Touring, it adds as standard:

• 19-inch wheels with 225/55 R19 tyres and roof rails
• Leather seats with power adjustment for driver and passenger, heated front seats and driver memory
• Hands-free power tailgate with position memory
• Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and E-Call
• Leather steering wheel, smartphone app remote functions and remote start
• Three radar units instead of one for the driver-assistance system

Every 2026 trim also gains voice control without a wake word, which the 2024 car lacks. For corporate and executive fleets, the Premium trim removes the need to buy a higher-spec model year or add aftermarket equipment.

Upgrade 3: Which option packages are available?

The 2026 range introduces two factory packages, so importers can tune equipment to their market without changing trim:

• Comfort Package (2.0L Advance): leather seats, 10-way power driver seat with memory, power passenger seat, heated front seats, hands-free tailgate, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, E-Call and remote control.
• Premium Package (2.5L Premium): black/terracotta interior, colour head-up display, BOSE 12-speaker audio, paddle shifters, heated steering wheel, heated windscreen, heated rear seats, auto-dimming mirror and see-through view.

Package availability depends on the units in stock at the time of your order. Tell us which package you need and we confirm it on the proforma invoice.

Should you buy the 2024 or the 2026 CX-50?

Choose the 2024 when you want identical cars for a rental or corporate fleet, or when available 2024 stock fits your budget. Choose the 2026 when you sell through a showroom and need entry, mid and top trims, or when buyers expect leather and blind-spot monitoring.

Need more detail? Our 2026 specs and dimensions guide lists every figure, and our export process explains how a mixed order of both years is quoted and shipped.

EVtoU Export Desk — Export sales and logistics team at EVtoU, Beijing.