Front view
The Mazda CX-8 is a three-row, seven-seat SUV with the quiet, premium cabin Mazda is known for. It is our pick for families who want seven seats without driving a van or a big 4x4, and it is one of very few CX-8s you can hire in Nairobi, delivered to JKIA, your hotel or your home.
Who the CX-8 suits
- A family of five or six landing at JKIA with luggage.
- Grandparents and grandchildren together on a weekend to Naivasha or Nanyuki.
- Business travellers who carry colleagues but want a car that looks sharp outside an office in Upper Hill or a Westlands restaurant.
- Anyone who finds a van too big and a Land Cruiser too thirsty.
If your trip involves long drives in the rains or rough patches of road, the four-wheel drive Toyota Prado is the safer choice. If elderly parents find climbing into an SUV hard, the Toyota Alphard, with sliding doors and a chauffeur, is kinder.
Seats and luggage
The CX-8 seats seven: two in front, three in the middle row and two in a third row that folds flat into the boot floor. The third row suits children, teenagers, or adults on shorter trips. With all seven seats up there is room behind for a few soft bags; fold the third row down and you get a long, flat boot that takes the suitcases of a family flying home. A useful rule: seven people and light bags, or five people and big suitcases. Tell us your numbers and we will advise.
Handed over at JKIA
Add your flight number when you book and we track your flight. The evening before you land we send your driver's name and number on WhatsApp, and your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with a sign bearing your name. We fold the third row the way you need it, load the bags, film a walk-round video together and show you the fuel level, spare wheel and jack. Delivery to JKIA is KES 1,000. Read our airport promise.
A quiet, premium cabin
Good soundproofing and quality materials make it one of the quietest rides in its class, so calls on the move and long conversations with family are easy. It drives more like a large saloon than an SUV, which makes Nairobi traffic less tiring.
Economical on the long drive
Mazda's Skyactiv engines are responsive in the city and economical on longer drives to the Rift Valley, so a two-week family trip costs less in fuel than it would in a big 4x4. It stays on paved roads in Kenya; tell us your route when you book.
With a chauffeur
Add a chauffeur for KES 4,000 a day in Nairobi or KES 5,000 a day outside, plus your driver's food and overnight accommodation away from Nairobi. With our chauffeur driving there is no security deposit.
What a CX-8 trip costs
The table below works out 3, 7 and 14 days all in from today's daily rate, with delivery and collection, the cleaning and service fee and VAT.
Compare with
- Toyota Prado: four-wheel drive and more ground clearance for long drives upcountry.
- Toyota Alphard: a van with sliding doors and captain seats, always with a chauffeur.
- Toyota Noah: a practical family minivan at a lower daily rate.
- Guide: 7-seater car hire in Nairobi, every seven-seater side by side.
What the Mazda CX-8 costs for a real trip
All in, self-drive: the daily rate, delivery and collection in Nairobi (JKIA included), the cleaning and service fee, and VAT at 16%. Fuel is extra, and you return the car with the same fuel level.
| Hire | Total, VAT included |
|---|---|
| 3 days | KES 34,800 ≈ $268 USD / £203 GBP / €239 EUR |
| 7 days | KES 76,560 ≈ $590 USD / £446 GBP / €527 EUR |
| 14 days | KES 149,640 ≈ $1,154 USD / £872 GBP / €1,029 EUR |
The refundable security deposit is on top, and is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection.
With every Urban Escape car
A 2019 model or newer, serviced and cleaned before each hire, with comprehensive insurance, unlimited mileage, GPS tracking, 24/7 help and a replacement car if the car has a manufacturer (mechanical) issue. Add a vetted chauffeur for KES 4,000 a day in Nairobi or KES 5,000 outside. Cars stay in Kenya and on paved roads; only our Land Cruiser Safari goes on game drives. Pay a refundable reservation deposit within 2 hours of booking (we send a card payment link, or M-Pesa details by WhatsApp, phone or email), then the balance when you see the car, by M-Pesa, bank transfer, credit card or cash. Free cancellation until the car is handed over.
Why clients choose the CX-8
- Three rows, seven seats
- Third row folds flat for luggage
- Premium, quiet cabin
- Economical Skyactiv engine
- Advanced driver-assist safety features
Ideal for
- Families landing at JKIA with luggage
- Grandparents and grandchildren together
- Business travel with colleagues
- Weekend trips to Naivasha and Nanyuki
Mazda CX-8 hire: questions
How many seats does the Mazda CX-8 have?
Seven, across three rows. The third row suits children or shorter trips for adults, and folds flat when you need the boot.
How much luggage fits in the Mazda CX-8?
With the third row folded, the suitcases of a family of four or five flying home. With all seven seats up, a few soft bags. Tell us your numbers and we will advise.
How much is Mazda CX-8 hire in Nairobi?
The daily self-drive rate is at the top of this page, before 16% VAT, and the table above works out 3, 7 and 14 days all in.
Should I choose the CX-8 or the Prado?
The CX-8 for a quiet, economical seven-seater in Nairobi and on good roads. The Prado for four-wheel drive and more ground clearance on long trips, especially in the rainy season.
Can I drive the CX-8 to Naivasha or the Maasai Mara?
Naivasha, yes, and other destinations on paved roads with our approval. It stays in Kenya and on paved roads, and it can't be taken on safari game drives: the only car in our fleet allowed on game drives is our Land Cruiser Safari.
Is the CX-8 four-wheel drive?
Versions differ. If four-wheel drive matters for your route, tell us when you book, or choose the Prado.
Deposit: when your money comes back
You see the exact security deposit for your car in your quote before you book, and again on your booking page. It is fully refundable and due with your remaining balance by handover. It is not an extra charge: it is returned when the car is returned. Your security deposit is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. It comes back the same way you paid it: by M-Pesa to the number it came from, to the bank account you paid from, back to your card, or in cash. We check the car together and film it, just as we did at handover, and you get a written return receipt. If nothing is owed, you get it all back.
Only these can be taken off:
- fuel below the level you received, at the pump price
- traffic and speed camera fines, parking and tolls, at cost
- a late return, after the 1-hour grace period
- new damage shown on the handover and return videos, up to your Excess Fee for Damage
Anything taken off is on a written list, with the video or a receipt to show it, and there are no admin or processing fees.
Booking with a chauffeur? With one of our chauffeurs driving there is no security deposit and no Excess Fee for Damage. Read our fair damage promise, the rental terms in plain words, every car's price and deposit, and how JKIA airport handover works.