In addition to the 2.5 ICE, the CX-50 also has three electric motors. Two of them are on the front transaxle. One’s a small motor/generator that functions as both a starter and provides some drive power, while the other is a “much more powerful traction motor that does most of the heavy electrified lifting,” said Chen.

The compact hybrid SUV market has an agile new option with the arrival of the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid. It’s the brand’s first traditional hybrid.

Now Mazda is trying to stand on its own. In Thursday's presentation, the automaker said it was developing its own hybrid system to be used in the next-generation CX-5 crossover SUV launching sometime between 2025 and 2027. After the CX-5, the hybrid system could then be applied to larger models, Mazda said.