{"id":29584,"date":"2022-08-04T13:29:22","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T17:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29584"},"modified":"2022-08-04T13:29:22","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T17:29:22","slug":"how-bonkers-is-demand-for-rugged-suvs-even-sporty-mazda-is-making-a-cx-50-meridian-dirt-kicker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/how-bonkers-is-demand-for-rugged-suvs-even-sporty-mazda-is-making-a-cx-50-meridian-dirt-kicker","title":{"rendered":"How bonkers is demand for rugged SUVs? Even sporty Mazda is making a CX-50 Meridian dirt-kicker"},"content":{"rendered":"

The American consumer has gone wild for SUVs, especially rugged SUVs. In addition to dedicated dirt-kickers like Ford Broncos, Jeep Wranglers\u00a0and Toyota 4Runners, brands are now equipping mainstream SUVs with off-road packages like Ford Explorer Timberline, Subaru Outback Wilderness, and Toyota RAV4 TRD.<\/p>\n

How bonkers is off-road demand? Even ZOOM ZOOM performance carmaker Mazda is going all-in with an outdoors trim.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The Japanese manufacturer introduced the Meridian Edition this week, offering a rugged package of Falken all-terrain tires, roof platform\u00a0and fashionable black hood to its compact CX-50 SUV.<\/p>\n

The package builds on the successful, U.S.-made CX-50 which had\u00a0already signaled Mazda\u2019s new, off-road focus. Just as Ford recognized the off-road phenomenon and split its compact segment offerings in two \u2014 the suburban-focused Escape and outdoorsy Bronco Sport \u2014 so has Mazda expanded its compact SUV lineup beyond its best-selling, suburban CX-5 with the rugged CX-50.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Mazda is still defined by its wee Mazda MX-5 Miata sports car (Zoom! Zoom!) but the CX-50 Meridian Edition will be a new halo for the brand aimed at the 70% of the non-truck U.S. market that buys SUVs.<\/p>\n

Produced in Huntsville, Alabama, with a starting price of $41,225, the CX-50 Meridian Edition is aimed at the market\u2019s most adventurous customers. It\u2019s an increasingly crowded market with the Ford Bronco Badlands, Subaru Forester Wilderness, Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and others.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The Meridian model builds on the CX-50\u2019s already macho upgrades over the stylish CX-5 with more fender cladding, more cargo room\u00a0and 8.6-inch ground clearance.<\/p>\n

Available standard with the CX-50\u2019s upmarket, 256-horspower, 2.5-liter turbo-4 engine, the CX-50 Meridian wraps its all-terrain tires around black\u00a018-inch alloy wheels. You\u2019ll know Meridian by its new headlight garnish, matte-black hood graphic (the better to deflect sun glare)\u00a0and side rocker panels (to ward off stones and other off-road projectiles). Meridian Edition will be dressed in fashionable Polymetal Gray or Zircon Sand exterior paint, with a Terracotta leather interior.<\/p>\n

\"Add<\/p>\n
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With 310 pound-feet of torque driving all four wheels, the 2.5-liter turbo will get customers to the outback in a hurry towing up to 3,500 pounds. Once off-road drivers can choose from four modes including Off-Road.<\/p>\n

If the Meridian package isn\u2019t enough, Mazda has more accessories on offer.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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An Apex package adds roof-mounted black crossbars, a roof platform (for a tent) and front\/rear splash guards. Or buyers who don\u2019t want to pay full boat for the turbo-4 engine can opt for the Meridian Choice Package \u2014 available on the standard, 187-horse, 2.5-liter engine as well \u2014 which includes roof crossbars, roof platform, splash guards, side rocker garnish, headlight garnish and matte-black hood graphic.<\/p>\n

The Meridian Edition is the latest offering in a blizzard of 10 CX-50 trims starting with the CX-50 S at $28,825. The Turbo Premium and Turbo Premium Plus are the SUV\u2019s top trims, the latter starting at $43,575.<\/p>\n

The CX-50\u2019s slogan is \u201ctough but powerful\u201d as the SUV strives for a balance between Miata sportiness and SUV utility. With Meridian, the needle moves a little further towards tough.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The American consumer has gone wild for SUVs, especially rugged SUVs. In addition to dedicated dirt-kickers like Ford Broncos, Jeep Wranglers\u00a0and Toyota 4Runners, brands are now equipping mainstream SUVs with off-road packages like Ford Explorer Timberline, Subaru Outback Wilderness, and Toyota RAV4 TRD. How bonkers is off-road demand? Even ZOOM ZOOM performance carmaker Mazda is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29584"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29585,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29584\/revisions\/29585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}