Mazda's long-awaited 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid engine won't just power the CX-5, but will find its way into the brand's larger products, like the CX-70 and CX-90, when the in-house-developed Skyactiv-Z hybrid set-up arrives next year.
Mazda has been chasing its own hybrid solution globally for some time - in the US, the CX-50 Hybrid used a system borrowed from the Toyota RAV4 - and the launch is finally nearing, with 2027 earmarked for the engine to arrive.
The first port of call will be the already-confirmed Mazda CX-5 Hybrid, but new reports suggest the engine will then be quickly fitted to other Mazda SUVs, including the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.
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Hybrid power could boost Mazda's big SUV sales
In Australia, those models can be had with a choice of 3.3-litre petrol or diesel, both fitted with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. And both models have struggled for sales traction in Australia this year - the 70 has found just 182 buyers, while the 90 has found 470 homes. The CX-5, for contrast, has sold 15,273 units.
The CX-60 (3566 sales) and CX-80 (1,931 sales) both offer the additional option of a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain.
That sales result is reflected overseas, and especially in America, where fresh reports have emerged that those models could now borrow the CX-5's powertrain to boost sales.
The brand has flagged the expansion in its latest Integrated Report, where its English translation reads: "We will also expand HEVs to four models", before later revealing a roadmap for its in-house hybrid that says it is "considering deployment of component technologies to large models".
Mazda has previously flagged the importance of developing its own technology, including in the EV space, rather than relying on partnerships.
"If we don't do anything at all...we're going to end up becoming a company which will purchase technology. If we do that, we'll have no value as a Mazda brand," Hiroshi Ozawa, Mazda's Technological Strategy Officer, has told CarsGuide.