Mazda5 Won’t Get a Replacement, But Does Anyone Really Care?

The Mazda5 MPV will go out of production in the near future but the Japanese automaker doesn’t have any plans for a replacement model.

Company officials have confirmed to Autocar that the seven-seat MPV will not be replaced, and low sales are most likely the reason behind the decision. In the UK, Mazda has been selling under 1,000 units annually for the past few years.

But times are hard for MPVs worldwide, as they face with strong competition from more appealing five- and seven-seat SUVs. The Mazda5 is still available to order and the company has models in stock, but production of the MPV is being scaled down, with no replacement on the horizon.

Mazda has also stopped investing in its MPV, with the Mazda5 now being the automaker’s only model not built or powered by its SkyActiv technology. That alone is a strong enough clue about the Mazda5’s future.

The future of MPVs in general looks quite grim at the moment, with even Europe’s most iconic minivan, the Renault Espace, crossing over to SUV territory for its latest generation. Who knows, maybe that’s the only way MPVs can survive.

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