The CX-80 could close a strange Mazda gap: seven seats without a huge body

Mazda may add another three-row crossover to its U.S. lineup. The company filed a trademark for the CX-80 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on 27 February 2026, which immediately fuelled speculation about a possible launch overseas.

The CX-80 is already on sale in Europe and Asia. In essence, it’s a stretched CX-60 with a third row of seats, designed for markets where the CX-90 feels too large. The CX-80 is 4,996 mm long, 1,890 mm wide and 1,709 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3,119 mm. By comparison, the CX-90 is longer and wider, at 5,121 mm and 1,971 mm respectively, but its wheelbase is the same — 3,119 mm.

This format could work for those who need seven seats but don’t want to step up to the brand’s biggest SUV. Mazda already offers the three-row CX-90 in the U.S. and the CX-70 with no third row, but a narrow gap remains between them: a more compact family car with a proper third row of seats.

The CX-80’s engine line-up also looks well suited to different markets. The model is offered with a 3.3-litre petrol straight-six producing 280 hp and 450 Nm (for Japan and Australia), a 3.3-litre turbodiesel with 254 hp and 550 Nm, and a plug-in hybrid based on a 2.5-litre engine. Total PHEV output is 327 hp and 500 Nm. All-wheel drive is standard.

Mazda has already shown that it isn’t afraid to slice the SUV line-up thinly: CX-30, CX-5, CX-50, CX-60, CX-70, CX-90, and the CX-40 name has surfaced recently as well. So a U.S. CX-80 wouldn’t look random, but rather as a continuation of the «a crossover for almost every scenario» strategy. A trademark filing, though, doesn’t guarantee a launch. Mazda may simply be protecting the name after past disputes over model names, including Luce.