Remember the Minagi concept crossover that Mazda showed us at this year’s Geneva Auto Show? The one that drew rave reviews from journalists and the general public? Mazda has confirmed that the replacement for their aging Tribute SUV will indeed be based on the Minagi concept, and in keeping with current naming conventions it will be called the CX-5. The Kodo-design-themed crossover will make its North American debut at this week’s New York Auto Show, while the first showing of the near-production CX-5 is scheduled for September’s Frankfurt Auto Show.
The CX-5 is expected to join Mazda’s product line sometime in 2012, and will be the first in a series of new or revised products blending Mazda’s “SkyActiv” fuel saving technology with their Kodo design language. Expect more releases from Mazda, relating to both the “SkyActiv” suite of technologies and the Kodo design theme in current months. The manufacturer has been strangely quiet in recent months, but I have a feeling that’s about to change.