Mazda Introduces Carbon Turbo Trim

by Matthew Guy

Published: June 6th, 2023

Alert members of the B&B know that applying skiffs of paint and wallpaper to create a new trim can be a great way for an OEM to grab attention on a model that’s between development cycles. Mazda has dabbled with a Carbon Edition in the past but is now applying a similar treatment to other vehicles in its range.

Despite its name, the Carbon Turbo trim won’t use Atomic Number Six as the sole element of its power adder. Rather, it will use gloss black exterior flourishes like black metallic aluminum alloy wheels, side mirrors, and front grille to set itself apart from its brothers. Those items are shared with the existing Carbon Edition trims, but the Carbon Turbo will have its own unique color scheme in the form of Zircon Sand Metallic shown here.

Heady stuff, folks. You may wish to take a breather.

As one might expect, the interior of these Carbon Turbo machines also receives a smattering of unique styling features. A blend of materials including terracotta-hued surfaces which aren’t actually made from terracotta, black suede surfaces which are, and some gunmetal accents at touchpoints like interior door handles. Mazda plans to offer the package on its 3 sedan and hatch, the CX-30, and the stylish CX-5.

The turbo moniker gives away what’s under the hood, at least to anyone blessed with the gift of deductive reasoning. In case you’ve forgotten, it is a 2.5L turbocharged mill good for 256 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque when fed 93 octane fuel. Output is reduced to 227 and 310, respectively, when 87 octane is used by cheapskates or people living in the sticks. Whatever the level of grunt, it’s all fed to the ground by a six-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

Pricing wasn’t announced but, as an example, non-turbo variants of the 2023 CX-5 currently command a $1,000 premium for Carbon Editions compared to the mid-range Preferred trim. If that holds for the Carbon Turbo, expect a price tag somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 grand for a CX-5 so equipped.

[Image: Mazda]

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Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

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2 of 9 comments

Wjtinfwb on Jun 06, 2023

Looks like Mazda put more effort into sprucing up a moribund product than Chevy did with the soon to be euthanized '24 Camaro.

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Theflyersfan on Jun 07, 2023

I was just at the Mazda dealer getting one of the free scheduled maintenances taken care of and saw a couple of these on the lot (inventory...I know!!! No Mazda3s or MX-5s, but had some CX-5s and CX-50s). They are even nicer in person - the paint especially stands out. Plus the terracotta interior treatment isn't something done by Honda, Toyota, or Nissan so you can get something different. The slight price hike is worth it and it's worth it just to have something that isn't white, black, or a million shades of gray.
Or get the Soul Red. You can never go wrong with that color. I just with the terracotta interior was offered with that.

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