Mazda CX-5 – tough and refined

THE gap between the premium brands and the chasing pack is getting narrower by the day – on the SUV scene at least.

No contender demonstrates that fact more clearly than the Mazda CX-5.

The outgoing model was a leading player in its own right with more than 32,000 examples sold in the UK since 2012 along with global sales of over 1.5 million.

And of course it’s important to remember that this is the car which introduced the Japanese company’s fuel-saving SKYACTIV technology and KODO: Soul of Motion design philosophy.

This summer saw the arrival of the new generation CX-5 and a promise from Mazda to bring a new dimension of driving pleasure to SUV buyers.

Designed under the concept of ‘Refined Toughness’ the new CX-5 has raised the bar again with a series of styling, dynamic and refinement upgrades that lifts the car into the same class as the prestige marques.

It looks that good, feels that superior and drives that well – it’s a car of serious merit.

Design-wise, a lower roofline along with sleeker sides and a dominant front end give the CX-5 an eye-catching appeal while the interior is both high class and spacious.

In fact buyers of the tested Sport Nav trim grade get perforated and heated soft leather seats amongst a raft of upmarket standard kit.

It’s all part of Mazda’s ‘Jinba-Ittai’ car-and-driver as one philosophy, aimed at improving driver engagement and comfort.

And you really notice the attention paid to reducing noise and vibration in the cabin, at the same time as feeling the precision of the steering and the slickness of the six-speed manual gearbox.

A 10-model UK range starts at £23,695 with two trim grades, manual and auto transmissions plus all-wheel drive.

The engine line-up is a familiar one, carried over from the outgoing car, and kicks off with a 2.0-litre 165PS SKYACTIV-G petrol engine available in SE-L Nav and Sport Nav trim.

This is the naturally aspirated version featured here and is offered exclusively with front-wheel drive and manual gearbox.

It doesn’t have much instant response but is sweet and lively once up to speed and particularly strong on faster roads, though even the most light-footed driver will do well to match the official Combined fuel return of 47.1mpg.

Then there’s the 2.2-litre 150PS SKYACTIV-D diesel up for grabs with front-wheel drive and AWD plus a choice of transmissions while topping the range is the 2.2-litre 175PS diesel, exclusively in Sport Nav trim.

Space inside is more than adequate, front and back, visibility is excellent along with the raised driving position and the large boot is easily extended as the rear seats drop at the pull of a tab in the boot. There are plenty of cubbies and assorted storage spots too.

Infotainment comes courtesy of a simple to use set-up operated via a rotary controller behind the gearshift, and you can also use the touchscreen, though smartphone users wanting Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are out of luck.

All models are extremely well specced up and include LED headlights, auto power-folding door mirrors, dual-zone climate control, DAB radio and seven-inch colour touchscreen display with sat-nav.

Sport Nav adds a reversing camera, 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat and Smart keyless entry, a  power lift tailgate and head-up display with Traffic Sign Recognition.