Sport Mazda South · Orlando, FL · Mazda Research Hub
Last updated July 27, 2026 · Written by Michael Craig-Voyk
One engine, one rating, one transmission, all-wheel drive on every trim. What follows is the full powertrain specification, why premium fuel buys you nothing on this vehicle, and the only acceleration figures we will publish.
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 makes 187 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 186 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, from a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter SKYACTIV®-G four-cylinder, on regular 87-octane fuel.[1] Every trim gets the same engine, the same 6-speed automatic and the same standard i-Activ AWD®.
Two things people expect to find on this page are not here. There is no turbocharged version for 2026; Mazda discontinued the 2.5-liter turbo with the redesign. And there is no higher power rating on premium fuel, because this engine is not a turbo and Mazda publishes a single figure regardless of octane.
Everything Mazda publishes about how this vehicle makes and delivers its power.
| Specification | 2026 Mazda CX-5 |
|---|---|
| Engine | SKYACTIV®-G 2.5, naturally aspirated |
| Configuration | DOHC 16-valve inline-4 |
| Displacement | 2,488 cc |
| Bore and stroke | 89.0 x 100.0 mm |
| Compression ratio | 13.0:1 |
| Horsepower | 187 hp at 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 186 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm |
| Redline | 6,500 rpm |
| Fuel system | Direct injection |
| Cylinder deactivation | Standard |
| Idle stop | Standard, all trims |
| Transmission | 6-speed SKYACTIV®-Drive automatic |
| Final drive ratio | 4.624 |
| Drivetrain | i-Activ AWD®, standard on all five trims |
| Paddle shifters | 2.5 S Premium Plus only |
| Fuel economy | 24 city / 30 highway / 26 combined MPG[2] |
The 13.0:1 compression ratio is the number an engineer would notice. It is unusually high for an engine that runs on regular fuel, and it is the reason this 2.5-liter makes competitive power without a turbocharger. It is also why the fuel requirement is worth a careful read rather than assuming.
The 2.5 S and the 2.5 S Premium Plus have identical outputs. Climbing the range buys equipment, not performance, and the only powertrain-adjacent difference anywhere in the walk is the paddle shifters on the top trim. If someone tells you the upper trims are quicker, they are describing the previous-generation lineup, which offered a turbo.
This question comes from the previous generation and it deserves a careful answer, because the 2.5-liter turbo Mazda used to sell really did have two ratings.
That engine made 227 horsepower on 87 octane and 256 on 93. It is gone for 2026 and its numbers belong to the second-generation vehicle. Anyone quoting them for this car is quoting an older Mazda CX-5.[3]
The naturally aspirated 2.5 in the 2026 Mazda CX-5 has one rating. Mazda’s own specification table still carries the row headings from the turbo era, with separate lines for regular and premium fuel, and prints a single value across both: 187 horsepower, 186 lb-ft. Premium fuel buys you nothing on this vehicle except a larger number on the pump.
| Fuel | Horsepower | Torque | Mazda’s position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular, 87 AKI | 187 hp | 186 lb-ft | Specified and required |
| Premium, 91 or 93 AKI | 187 hp | 186 lb-ft | Permitted, no published benefit |
Mazda’s fuel table reads “87 [(R+M)/2 method] or above (91 RON or above).” Those are two ways of writing the same fuel. RON is the European research octane scale, and 91 RON converts to 87 on the anti-knock index printed on American pumps. Plenty of published advice reads that line as an instruction to buy 91 at a Florida gas station. It is not.[1]
Mazda is firm about the floor rather than the ceiling. Its wording is that fuel below 87 octane “will negatively affect the emission control system performance and could also cause engine knocking and serious engine damage.” With a 13.0:1 compression ratio that is not boilerplate. The maximum ethanol blend is 10 percent.
Regular unleaded, 87 octane. Over a year of Central Florida driving the difference between regular and premium runs to real money, and on this engine you are buying nothing with it.
Mazda publishes no acceleration figure for this vehicle, so everything below comes from publications that put a car on a test surface with timing equipment. We are naming the publication beside each number rather than averaging them, because they disagree by a full second and that spread is real.
| Publication | 0 to 60 mph | Quarter mile | Trim tested | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car and Driver | 8.0 sec. | 16.2 sec. at 85 mph | 2.5 S Premium Plus | May 2026 |
| MotorWeek | 8.5 sec. | 16.5 sec. at 84 mph | 2.5 S Premium Plus | July 2026 |
| Edmunds | 9.0 sec. | Not published | 2.5 S Premium Plus | July 2026 |
Three test teams, three surfaces, three procedures, one second of spread. That is normal and it is why we will not print a single house figure. Car and Driver also measured 70 to 0 braking at 173 feet and 0.83 g on the skidpad; MotorWeek measured 60 to 0 at 112 feet.[4]
A February 2026 review published under a headline beginning “Tested” lists 0 to 60 at 8.0 seconds and marks it “est.” The body of that piece says acceleration is likely to be close to the previous version’s 8.1 seconds. No instrumented run took place; it was a press-launch drive. That article is widely syndicated in a form that invites people to attribute it to a magazine that did run the numbers.[3]
Edmunds added a judgement alongside its figure, and we would rather you read it here than find it later: nine seconds is, in their words, among the slowest times they have measured for a small SUV. Whether that matters depends entirely on how you drive.
Our own view, from handing these to customers every day, is that the specification undersells the car and the stopwatch oversells the problem. The torque peak sits at 4,000 rpm and cylinder deactivation keeps the engine quiet at a cruise, so merging onto I-4 at speed is unremarkable in the way you want it to be. What you will notice is a full car climbing an on-ramp in August with the air conditioning working hard. Drive one that way before you decide.
A 6-speed automatic is fewer ratios than most of this segment now carries, and it is a deliberate choice rather than an oversight.
Mazda’s SKYACTIV®-Drive transmission uses a conventional torque converter with a wide lock-up range, which is a different design philosophy from the continuously variable transmissions that dominate the compact SUV class. In practice it means the engine speed rises and falls with the accelerator instead of holding a drone, and it means a shift you can feel when the vehicle downshifts to pass.
Whether you prefer that is a personal question and we will not pretend otherwise. What we can tell you is that it is the single most common thing customers coming out of a rival brand comment on within the first mile, usually favourably, and that a torque converter automatic with six ratios has a long and dull service record, which counts for something over eight years.
Paddle shifters are fitted to the 2.5 S Premium Plus and nothing below it. Every trim has a manual gate on the shifter, and the owner’s manual asks you to use it on long descents and when towing, which is the only place most owners will ever want it.[5]
Numbers on a page are a poor guide to a commute, so here is the practical translation.
Merging is the test that matters in this market, and the vehicle handles it. The short on-ramps on I-4 through downtown ask for a decisive right foot rather than a fast car, and 186 lb-ft arriving at 4,000 rpm is enough for that with a driver, a passenger and a week of groceries aboard.
Loading changes it more than most people expect. Five adults, a full cargo hold and a Florida afternoon put a measurable dent in how the vehicle responds, because the air conditioning is drawing real power from a naturally aspirated engine at exactly the moment you want all of it. If your car regularly runs full, drive a full one.
Towing is where the honest limit sits. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is rated at 1,500 pounds when properly equipped, and the manual caps you at 62 miles per hour with a trailer, asks for the gear selector in D rather than a higher range on hills, and prohibits towing entirely for the first 600 miles.[5] A personal watercraft or a small utility trailer sits inside that. Most boats do not.
Ask for a test drive that includes an on-ramp, not a loop around the block. Fifteen minutes on 417 with the air conditioning at full and someone in the back seat tells you more about whether 187 horsepower suits you than any figure on this page. We will happily send you out on that route.
Two changes to the powertrain lineup matter if you are trying to time a purchase.
The 2.5-liter turbo, which made 227 or 256 horsepower depending on fuel, is discontinued for 2026. Mazda did not carry it into the third generation. If a turbocharged Mazda CX-5 is what you want, that is a used-car conversation and we usually have a few.[6]
A hybrid Mazda CX-5 is confirmed for the 2027 model year, using Mazda’s new SKYACTIV®-Z engine. Mazda has said so publicly and Consumer Reports reported the same after speaking to Mazda directly.[7] What Mazda has not published is its power output, its fuel economy, its price or its on-sale date, so we will not guess at any of them.
Whether to wait is a fair question and the answer depends on you rather than on us. A first-year hybrid arriving on a second-year platform is a reasonable thing to want. So is buying the vehicle that exists now, at a price that is published, with a top safety award already earned. We will tell you which we think fits your situation if you ask, and we will not be offended if you wait.
EPA ratings, calculated range, and what actually moves fuel economy on a Central Florida commute.
Standard all-wheel drive on every trim, the drive modes and what Mazda does not claim.
The 1,500-pound rating, the hitch part numbers and the systems that switch off when you plug a trailer in.
187 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 186 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, from a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter SKYACTIV®-G four-cylinder. Every one of the five 2026 Mazda CX-5 trims has the same engine, the same 6-speed automatic and the same standard i-Activ AWD®.
No. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 has a single power rating regardless of octane. Mazda specifies regular unleaded at 87 AKI or above and publishes no premium-fuel figure.[1] The two-rating split people remember belongs to the discontinued 2.5-liter turbo, which made 227 horsepower on 87 octane and 256 on 93 in the previous generation.[3]
No. Mazda discontinued the 2.5-liter turbo with the third-generation redesign, so every 2026 Mazda CX-5 uses the naturally aspirated 2.5. A hybrid is confirmed for the 2027 model year using Mazda’s SKYACTIV®-Z engine, with no power output, fuel economy or price published yet.[7]
Mazda publishes no acceleration figure. Three publications have instrument-tested a 2.5 S Premium Plus and reported 8.0 seconds (Car and Driver), 8.5 seconds (MotorWeek) and 9.0 seconds (Edmunds).[4] We name the publication beside each figure rather than averaging them, because the spread is a difference in test method rather than in the car.
A 6-speed SKYACTIV®-Drive automatic with a conventional torque converter, on every trim, driving all four wheels through standard i-Activ AWD®. Paddle shifters are fitted to the 2.5 S Premium Plus only. The final drive ratio is 4.624.
For merging and cruising, yes. The torque peak at 4,000 rpm arrives where an on-ramp needs it, and cylinder deactivation keeps the engine quiet at a steady cruise. A fully loaded vehicle climbing a ramp in Florida heat with the air conditioning working is where you notice the limit. Drive one loaded before you decide. Call (321) 235-6764.
[1] Fuel tank capacity is a manufacturer-published figure and usable capacity will be less. Calculated driving range is an estimate derived from EPA-estimated fuel economy and tank capacity; it is not a Mazda-published figure and actual range will vary significantly with driving conditions, load, climate control use and driving habits. Do not run the tank low in reliance on a calculated figure.
[2] EPA-estimated 24 city / 30 highway / 26 combined MPG for the 2026 Mazda CX-5 with i-Activ AWD®. Actual results will vary based on driving conditions, driving habits and vehicle maintenance. Use for comparison purposes only.
[3] This figure was not published in a 2026-model-year Mazda document available at the time of writing and is carried from the previous-generation Mazda CX-5, from a supplier catalog, or from a component manufacturer’s own publication rather than Mazda’s. Because the 2026 Mazda CX-5 is an all-new vehicle, confirm it against your vehicle’s VIN with the Sport Mazda South parts or service department before relying on it.
[4] Competitive vehicle information is based on publicly available manufacturer-published data for 2026 model-year vehicles as of the last-updated date of this page and is provided for general comparison purposes only. Competitor specifications, pricing and availability are subject to change without notice by their respective manufacturers. Sport Mazda South is not affiliated with, and does not represent, any competing manufacturer. Verify competitive information with the respective manufacturer or dealer.
[5] Maximum towing capacity of 1,500 pounds when properly equipped. Towing capacity varies with passenger and cargo weight and requires the appropriate factory or Genuine Mazda towing equipment. Consult your Owner’s Manual and see dealer for complete details before towing.
[6] Vehicle availability, trim availability and color availability are subject to current inventory and change without notice. Contact Sport Mazda South at (321) 235-6764 to confirm availability of a specific 2026 Mazda CX-5 configuration.
[7] Reliability ratings, quality studies and ownership-cost estimates are published by the organizations named and are not produced, endorsed or verified by Mazda North American Operations or by Sport Mazda South. Each publisher uses its own methodology, sample and model-year coverage. Several figures currently published under the Mazda CX-5 name are drawn from 2013–2025 vehicles or from Mazda brand averages rather than from the all-new 2026 Mazda CX-5, and are shown here for context only.
[8] Dealership hours shown on this page are accurate as of the last-updated date above and are subject to change without notice, including on holidays and during special events. Call Sport Mazda South at (321) 235-6764 or visit sportmazdaorlando.com to confirm current hours before visiting.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only. Information herein is subject to change without notice and does not constitute an offer to sell. Specifications, features, pricing and availability are based on manufacturer-published data available as of the last-updated date shown at the top of this page. Confirm all details with a Sport Mazda South representative before purchase.
