We could all live without another compact SUV. The dozen or more already on the market suit every imaginable purse and purpose. So what’s the Mazda CX-5’s reason for existing? The simple answer is that Mazda’s new bouncing baby bear is a smaller, cheaper model intended to round out the brand’s set of SUVs—well, and that the small-SUV category is a sales mine and no company can afford to sit it out. But proving that nothing is ever as simple as it first seems, the CX-5 embodies two ulterior motives: This is not only our first look at two major Mazda initiatives, but it’s also an accurate preview of other models scheduled for near-term introduction.
Before we delve into that grand plan, consider the key parameters that define the CX-5. It’s a compact SUV designed fresh from the ground up with no hand-me-down components. It lives at the large end of its sprawling class and casts a shadow only slightly smaller than Mazda’s middle-child CX-7. So the CX-5, a close size match to the Kia Sportage, rides on a 106.3-inch wheelbase (exactly two inches shorter than the CX-7’s), and it has length and width dimensions of 178.7 and 72.4 inches versus the CX-7’s 184.3 and 73.7. In lieu of the CX-7’s sleek, swoopy, smiley-faced envelope, the CX-5 has a much boxier, more practical wrapper. The two Mazda siblings are about the same size inside, with comfortable room for four occupants and a third seatbelt in back for an occasional fifth passenger. (Although we spent a day driving four CX-5 prototypes in Iceland, final details regarding interior room, power, mileage, and price won’t be released until the U.S. introduction at December’s L.A. auto show.) In keeping with the CX-5’s unpretentious role as the most diminutive and wallet-friendly SUV in Mazda’s lineup, it will hit the deck with but one engine—a 2.0-liter inline-four rated at about 160 hp—and four driveline choices: front- or all-wheel drive with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
Design
The CX5 is a grower, thankfully. Our first glance at it was pleasing, but as we spent more time with the car we became more enamoured with its interesting looks. Front-on, it's striking. There's a big grille, which dominates, along with some stylish lights with a slightly pinched design.
Side-on, the car has a familiar SUV styling. The rear windows are smallish, but in the front there's a lot of glass, and as a result a very reasonable view of the road around you. The taillights are especially unusual, and from the side give the car a pretty funky look. This is no Nissan Juke, but you could argue that's no bad thing - it's certainly more conventional, and much less likely to scare children.
Inside, and we see a new approach for Mazda, which admits that it hasn't always had the most inspiring quality when it comes to the cabin. Things here are good, though. The dashboard is neatly designed. The rev counter and speedometer are traditional dials, while on the right is a digital display and graphical fuel gauge.
Inside, and we see a new approach for Mazda, which admits that it hasn't always had the most inspiring quality when it comes to the cabin. Things here are good, though. The dashboard is neatly designed. The rev counter and speedometer are traditional dials, while on the right is a digital display and graphical fuel gauge.
Things do fall apart a little when you come to the centre console. Here, there's a bit of a mix of old and new. In our test car, the TomTom gives a high-tech highlight with a multi-function touchscreen, which also doubles as a radio and CD player display. This works well, and is actually quite clearly laid out.
Below this though, there are the climate controls. There's nothing at all wrong here, but the colour of the displays - orange - doesn't fit at all with the darker and more modern style of the dashboard. We'd have like to have seen everything match, and it just doesn't. It all works fine, and the climate control is easier to use than Audi's dreadful "clicker" model used on the current A3. Here, you dial in the temperature you want and there's the option to turn dual-zone on, or off, at the press of a button. This is very useful, and it's missing on other cars.
Upholstery is well-designed too, there are cloth and leather options, and our car had a delightful red stitching that you possibly wouldn't expect to find on this sort of car. It might seem like a small thing, but we really liked it. The driver's seat of our car was also fully electric and allowed us to get into a comfortable driving position very easily. Once set up, we stayed comfortable all day. This car is incredibly pleasant to drive.
Below this though, there are the climate controls. There's nothing at all wrong here, but the colour of the displays - orange - doesn't fit at all with the darker and more modern style of the dashboard. We'd have like to have seen everything match, and it just doesn't. It all works fine, and the climate control is easier to use than Audi's dreadful "clicker" model used on the current A3. Here, you dial in the temperature you want and there's the option to turn dual-zone on, or off, at the press of a button. This is very useful, and it's missing on other cars.
Upholstery is well-designed too, there are cloth and leather options, and our car had a delightful red stitching that you possibly wouldn't expect to find on this sort of car. It might seem like a small thing, but we really liked it. The driver's seat of our car was also fully electric and allowed us to get into a comfortable driving position very easily. Once set up, we stayed comfortable all day. This car is incredibly pleasant to drive.
Fun, Lively, and Oh, So Good
The CX-5 doesn’t drive like any other existing compact SUV. It’s more lively, more involving, more steeped in the sports-car character that Mazda harps on about in its Zoom-Zoom advertising. The steering is quick and crisp, body motions are held tightly in check, and the ride is purposely firm underfoot. This is the SUV for those who promised they’d never stoop to driving one. This is where fun-to-drive lives when there are kids to convey, dogs to deliver, or a long weekend’s worth of camping gear to haul.
The first clue that the CX-5 is something different is revealed by its fresh exterior design. The previous Nagare (“wind-driven flow”) theme that gave us more ear-to-ear grins than we really needed is heretofore supplanted by Kodo—a less flamboyant, more tasteful “soul of motion” appearance. Where the CX-5 goes stylistically, other Mazdas will follow.
The first clue that the CX-5 is something different is revealed by its fresh exterior design. The previous Nagare (“wind-driven flow”) theme that gave us more ear-to-ear grins than we really needed is heretofore supplanted by Kodo—a less flamboyant, more tasteful “soul of motion” appearance. Where the CX-5 goes stylistically, other Mazdas will follow.
The same is true of the CX-5’s inner workings. After a serious bout of introspection, Mazda’s top management mapped a path to the future consisting of a menu of essentials such as lower emissions and higher gas mileage, as well as desirables such as added safety features and new creature comforts. Thankfully, a fun-to-drive temperament also made the cut as a core Mazda virtue. The slightly inscrutable name for Mazda’s mix of fun and function is Skyactiv Technology, and it reaches deeply into every nook and cranny of the body structure, chassis, and powertrain.
That means the CX-5 has a stiff, light foundation made mostly of high-strength steel. (Aluminum and more exotic materials were avoided to contain cost.) Mazda says the steering and suspension gear were designed with agility, linearity, and concise driver feedback as the goals, and from our encounter, it feels like the company is telling the truth. The cockpit was laid out to provide better-than-average outward visibility, a natural relationship to all controls and instruments, and a seat capable of supporting an aggressive driver’s boldest commands.
That means the CX-5 has a stiff, light foundation made mostly of high-strength steel. (Aluminum and more exotic materials were avoided to contain cost.) Mazda says the steering and suspension gear were designed with agility, linearity, and concise driver feedback as the goals, and from our encounter, it feels like the company is telling the truth. The cockpit was laid out to provide better-than-average outward visibility, a natural relationship to all controls and instruments, and a seat capable of supporting an aggressive driver’s boldest commands.
Engine choices
Mazda offers a 2-litre petrol engine, and a 2.2-litre diesel in either two-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive configurations.
The more powerful AWD Sports version is a hoot. Low down the rev range, it's not all that inspiring, but drive it hard, up toward the red line, and it becomes a very different beast. There's loads of torque and while this is a large vehicle, it often feels more sprightly than a smaller car.
Even on tight, windy roads in the Scottish Highlands, the CX5 felt solid and well-planted. This is obviously not a sports car, but it also doesn't feel like an SUV when you're hurtling around at 60mph on single-track roads that stretch off into the mountains ahead.
The lower power 2.2 litre engine is, however, the one to chose. It's not significantly less fun than the bigger engine, and you still need to drive it high up the revs to have a good time, but it's cheaper to buy, gets better fuel economy when driven sensibly and comes in on a lower tax bracket.
You might prefer the security of the all-wheel-drive car too, but we'd suggest sticking to the two-wheel-drive model. You're unlikely to need the extra wheels driving, and it reduces fuel economy and won't help you actually to go off-road - this car really isn't designed for that.
Mazda is also proud of its short-shift gearbox, which it says pushes this car in the direction of the MX5. We have to say, its gearbox is actually very pleasant indeed to use, and when shifting around, it does feel responsive, and it's never too easy to flick the stick into the wrong gear. It's certainly more fun than you'll have in most vehicles in this class.
Skyactiv technology
While we usually avoid talk of engine design and spec here, we do want to mention Mazda's Skyactiv briefly.
These new engines are important to the company, which says that there is no point building hybrid cars, unless your underlying technology is as efficient as possible first. It is therefore making its engines lighter and simpler, and aiming to increase efficiency by 30 per cent over the next couple of years.
The net result of this is that the engine is 10 per cent lighter in this car, has 15 per cent better fuel consumption and 15 per cent more torque. Those are all just numbers, but in the time we spent with the car, it is certainly one of the most impressive diesel powered vehicles we've used.
And best of all, because the engines in the petrol and diesel models are so close to each other in size and weight, it's far easier for the cars to be assembled on the same lines. That means reduced costs, which can hopefully be passed on to us, the consumers.
These new engines are important to the company, which says that there is no point building hybrid cars, unless your underlying technology is as efficient as possible first. It is therefore making its engines lighter and simpler, and aiming to increase efficiency by 30 per cent over the next couple of years.
The net result of this is that the engine is 10 per cent lighter in this car, has 15 per cent better fuel consumption and 15 per cent more torque. Those are all just numbers, but in the time we spent with the car, it is certainly one of the most impressive diesel powered vehicles we've used.
And best of all, because the engines in the petrol and diesel models are so close to each other in size and weight, it's far easier for the cars to be assembled on the same lines. That means reduced costs, which can hopefully be passed on to us, the consumers.
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