2021 Mazda CX-8 pricing and specs detailed: Update arrives for Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento rival

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The CX-8 line-up has been stretched for the second year in a row.
Justin Hilliard
Head of Editorial
3 Mar 2021
4 min read

Mazda Australia has expanded the CX-8 large SUV’s range once again, this time with a MY21 update that ushers in new technology and a six-seat option.

The rare seating configuration is exclusive to the new Asaki LE flagship (from $69,920 plus on-road costs), which is positioned $3130 higher than the Asaki grade it builds upon.

For the extra spend, buyers get two power-adjustable captain’s chairs with heating and cooling plus a dedicated centre console with cupholders and USB ports in the middle row, in place of the traditional three-seat bench that’s otherwise standard.

For MY21, the Asaki LE and the Azami grade have also get a Gun metallic grille, front chrome accents, new 19-inch alloy wheels and larger exhaust tailpipes and as well as quilted Nappa leather upholstery and silver honeycomb trim.

Another new addition to the CX-8 line-up is the mid-range Touring SP grade (from $47,790), which commands a $1000 premium over the Touring it’s based upon but adds a black grille, 19-inch alloy wheels and side-mirror caps.

The updates don’t come for free, with the Sport (+), Touring (+0), GT (+90) and Asaki (+50) grades all increasing in price.
The updates don’t come for free, with the Sport (+), Touring (+0), GT (+90) and Asaki (+50) grades all increasing in price.

Inside, the Touring SP stands out with black Maztex/Grand Luxe suede upholstery, red stitching on the steering wheel, doors, armrests and centre console; and black honeycomb trim plus a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and heated outboard rear seats.

The mid-range GT grade and above have also upgraded to a 10.25-inch central display powered by Mazda’s latest multimedia system, as well as a wireless smartphone charger, while paddle-shifters are now found in the Touring grades and above.

Better yet, the GT grade has also added a black grille, new 19-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free power-operated tailgate and metal wood trim for MY21.

These updates don’t come for free, though, with the Sport (+$80), Touring (+$200), GT (+$1390) and Asaki (+$1350) grades all increasing in price.

The Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento rival’s carryover range therefore now starts from $39,990 plus on-road costs and reaches $66,790 (see full pricing table below).

Standard equipment in the Sport grade otherwise includes 17-inch alloy wheels, dusk-sensing LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, an 8.0-inch central display, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, digital radio, a six-speaker sound system, a head-up display, three-zone climate control and black cloth upholstery.

The mid-range GT grade and above have upgraded to a 10.25-inch central display powered by Mazda’s latest multimedia system.
The mid-range GT grade and above have upgraded to a 10.25-inch central display powered by Mazda’s latest multimedia system.

Advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, traffic sign recognition, high-beam assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, rear AEB, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

The Touring grade adds LED foglights, keyless entry and start, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a six-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, heated front seats, black leather upholstery and front parking sensors.

The GT grade goes further with adaptive LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, a power-operated sunroof, a 10-speaker Bose sound system and rear window shades.

The Asaki grade ups the ante again with darkened 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, a 7.0-inch multi-function display, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, LED ambient lighting and surround-view cameras.

A 140kW/252Nm 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder engine is available in the Sport, Touring and Touring SP grades, a 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel unit is offered in six grades (Sport, Touring, Touring SP, GT, Asaki and Asaki LE).

Both engines are mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission as standard, with the petrol exclusively front-wheel drive (FWD), while the diesel has an all-wheel-drive system, but it does get a FWD option in the GT and Asaki grades.

2021 Mazda CX-8 pricing before on-road costs

VariantTransmissionCost
Sport petrol FWDautomatic$39,990 (+$80)
Sport diesel AWDautomatic$46,990 (+$80)
Touring petrol FWDautomatic$46,790 (+$200)
Touring diesel AWDautomatic$53,790 (+$200)
Touring SP petrol FWDautomatic$47,790 (NEW)
Touring SP diesel AWDautomatic$54,790 (NEW)
GT diesel FWDautomatic$59,290 (+$1390)
GT diesel AWDautomatic$63,290 (+$1390)
Asaki diesel FWDautomatic$62,790 (+$1350)
Asaki diesel AWDautomatic$66,790 (+$1350)
Asaki LE diesel AWDautomatic$69,920 (NEW)
Justin Hilliard
Head of Editorial
Justin’s dad chose to miss his birth because he wanted to watch Peter Brock hopefully win Bathurst, so it figures Justin grew up to have a car obsession, too – and don’t worry, his dad did turn up in time after some stern words from his mum. That said, despite loving cars and writing, Justin chose to pursue career paths that didn’t lend themselves to automotive journalism, before eventually ending up working as a computer technician. But that car itch just couldn’t be scratched by his chipped Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7), so he finally decided to give into the inevitable and study a Master of Journalism at the same time. And even with the long odds, Justin was lucky enough to land a full-time job as a motoring journalist soon after graduating and the rest, as they say, is history. These days, Justin happily finds himself working at CarsGuide during the biggest period of change yet for the automotive industry, which is perhaps the most exciting part of all. In case you’re wondering, Justin begrudgingly sold the Golf R (sans chip) and still has plans to buy his dream car, an E46 BMW M3 coupe (manual, of course), but he is in desperate need of a second car space – or maybe a third.
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