Mazda in Wellies: CX-50 Adds Meridian Trim

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy
mazda in wellies cx 50 adds meridian trim


Chasing the active lifestyle crowd, or perhaps cluing in that the CX-5 is an excellent machine but there’s room on the lot for a variant with a smidgen of off-road cred, Mazda introduced the CX-50 earlier this year. Think of it as a CX-5 in hiking boots and an L.L. Bean coat.


Now, the brand is taking it a step further with the CX-50 Meridian, a trim that brings all-terrain tires and a smattering of exterior accents to imply it’s ready for the trail – or at least that gravel patch at the mall.



Jokes aside, the CX-50 is a good-looking rig. It takes the razor-sharp Mazda family fascia and, with a few tweaks, makes it sufficiently different to arguably appeal to a customer type who may not cotton to the snazzy CX-5. This new Meridian Edition builds on a turbocharged CX-50 whose mill makes 256 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft of torque (or 227 horsepower/310 lb-ft if you feed it anything less than 93 octane). The aforementioned 18-inch Falkens are part of the Meridian deal, as are black metallic wheels and a gunshot of matte black around the exterior. That trailer hitch is good for 3,500 pounds.


For shoppers who like to sleep in a tent atop their vehicle, Mazda will offer the Apex package as an option on Meridian. It includes gear like roof-mounted black crossbars and a roof platform. The parts department, meanwhile, will be more than happy to sell you a rooftop tent from the Mazda accessory catalog to perch on all this – a decision which the finance clerk will surely be more than eager to roll into your monthly payment. Cheapskates not popping for the turbo can opt for some of these same add-ons in a so-called Meridian Choice package, but the exterior addenda will be slightly different to distinguish them from the more expensive (and more powerful) turbo cars.


Sneer if you want, but this is a smart play by Mazda. OEMs are waking up to the concept that they can sell this type of gear before the customer drives away and finds it at the aftermarket place down the street. By offering these kinds of kit, dealers stand a better chance of not leaving any money on the table, and alert members of the B&B will recognize these add-ons could hike the average price of a CX-50. That’s a metric that always looks good on the year-end financial report. 


The CX-50 gets a small mid-year price hike, amounting to $750. The new Turbo Meridian is $39,950, which is $2,800 more than the standard Turbo but on par with the Premium trim. Layering on the Apex package will add $1,235 to yer note.


[Image: Mazda]


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 3 comments
  • Bullnuke Bullnuke on Aug 02, 2022

    Or you could purchase a '23 Outback Wilderness for $1k less that has a 260hp turbo (on 87 octane) and tows 3,500 lbs.

    • B-BodyBuick84 B-BodyBuick84 on Sep 01, 2022


      Eh, the Outback isn't a bad vehcile by a long stretch, but the 3 year, 30,000 mile warranty is very off-putting. At least the Mazda has a decent warranty behind it, and last i checked, was as well built as anything from a Japanese car company

  • Bd2 Other way around.Giorgetto Giugiaro penned the Pony Coupe during the early 1970s and later used its wedge shape as the basis for the M1 and then the DMC-12.The 3G Supra was just one of many Japanese coupes to adopt the wedge shape (actually was one of the later ones).The Mitsubishi Starion, Nissan 300ZX, etc.
  • Tassos I also want one of the idiots who support the ban to explain to me how it will work.Suppose sometime (2035 or later) you cannot buy a new ICE vehicle in the UK.Q1: Will this lead to a ICE fleet resembling that of CUBA, with 100 year old '56 Chevys eventually? (in that case, just calculate the horrible extra pollution due to keeping 100 year old cars on the road)Q2: Will people be able to buy PARTS for their old cars FOREVER?Q3: Will people be allowed to jump across the Channel and buy a nice ICE in France, Germany (who makes the best cars anyway), or any place else that still sells them, and then use it in the UK?
  • Tassos Bans are ridiculous and undemocratic and smell of Middle Ages and the Inquisition. Even 2035 is hardly any better than 2030.The ALMIGHTY CONSUMER should decide, not... CARB, preferably WITHOUT the Government messing with the playing field.And if the usual clueless idiots read this and offer the tired "But Government subsidizes the oil industry too", will they EVER learn that those MINISCULE (compared to the TRILLIONS of $ size of this industry) subsidies were designed to help the SMALL Oil producers defend themselves against the "Big Oil" multinationals. Ask ANY major Oil co CEO and he will gladly tell you that you can take those tiny subsidies and shove them.
  • Dusterdude The suppliers can ask for concessions, but I wouldn’t hold my breath . With the UAW they are ultimately bound to negotiate with them. However, with suppliers , they could always find another supplier ( which in some cases would be difficult, but not impossible)
  • AMcA Phoenix. Awful. The roads are huge and wide, with dedicated lanes for turning, always. Requires no attention to what you're doing. The roads are idiot proofed, so all the idiots drive - they have no choice, because everything is so spread out.
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