Mazda introduced this three-row crossover for the North American market as a new nameplate for the 2007 model year, with production beginning in late 2006 and showroom arrivals following in early 2007. It was positioned as a larger, more family-oriented companion to Mazda’s smaller crossovers, but it still carried the brand’s emphasis on responsive handling and driver-focused road manners rather than the softer feel common in many utility vehicles of the era. The original vehicle was offered primarily as a seven-passenger crossover and quickly became an important image model for Mazda in North America.
A second generation arrived for the 2016 model year, previewed in 2015 and entering production in 2016. That redesign brought a more upscale appearance, a stronger emphasis on premium materials, and Mazda’s newer SKYACTIV engineering and KODO design language. In this later era, the model moved further upmarket and became one of Mazda’s key three-row offerings, especially in markets such as the United States, where it served as the brand’s flagship family crossover before the arrival of newer larger models.
Mazda confirmed in 2023 that the vehicle would be discontinued for the U.S. market after the 2023 model year, ending a continuous run that spanned from 2007 through 2023. It is remembered as one of Mazda’s most significant crossovers of the modern era, bridging the brand’s early SUV expansion and its later premium-leaning utility lineup.