Mazda CX-5 GT 2018 review: snapshot

The $43,590 GT represents the second from the top tier of the subtly updated 2018 CX-5 line-up, sitting $5000 above the petrol Touring and $2600 below the petrol Akera.

The petrol GT is equipped with the 2.5-litre petrol engine with all-wheel drive, while an also all-wheel drive diesel version adds another $3000. Both are now $800 cheaper than their 2017 equivalent.

The 2018 updates are largely under the skin, with the GT's feature list carrying over from the 2017 model.

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Explore the 2018 Mazda CX-5 Range

Mazda CX-5 Akera petrol 2018 review Mazda CX-5 Akera 2018 review: snapshot Mazda CX-5 GT 2018 review: snapshot Mazda CX-5 Touring 2018 review: snapshot Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2018 review: snapshot Mazda CX-5 Maxx 2018 review: snapshot Mazda CX-5 Touring diesel 2018 review

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The 2.5-litre petrol engine adds 1.0Nm to now total 140kW/252Nm, with the significant addition of cylinder deactivation which can drop two cylinders to save fuel under light throttle loads. However, this has only yielded a 0.1L improvement to its official combined cycle figure which is now 7.4L/100km.

The GT petrol engine continues to run happily on 91 RON regular unleaded, which should be considered against many rivals that demand 95 RON premium.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine scores a new variable-geometry turbine for the larger of what is effectively two turbos, along with a redesigned combustion chamber, sodium-filled exhaust valves and high-precision boost control to increase peak power by 11kW to 140kW and max torque by 30Nm to 450Nm.

The official combined fuel consumption figure has dropped by 0.3L to 5.7L/100km.