Just look at it - the CX-5 Akera is stunning. This is an SUV with such elegant and refined styling there’d be designers at Alfa Romeo still suffering from low self-esteem even three years after it arrived on the market.
They’d probably try to make themselves feel better by pointing out that the CX-5’s taillights appear proportionately too small.
From the outside the Akera grade looks a lot like the others in the range, but none of them come with those 19-inch alloy wheels. That's pretty much all that’s different on the outside compared to the rest of the range.
There are more differences inside. The Akera gets some nice luxury touches such as real wood door and dashboard trims, and Nappa leather upholstery.
The brown leather you see in the images is the standard 'Dark Russet' hide, which is a colour I’d never heard of, so I Googled it only to discover an entire world of dark russet love out there. There you go.
Mazda is the master of making beautiful cabins in affordable cars and the CX-5 is up there as one of the company’s best designed. Despite the updates though there’s some aging going on here such as the screen, which sits high on the dash, is looking small, and isn't as cool as the integrated version in the new-gen Mazda3.
Still, the fit and finish of the CX-5’s cabin appears as good (if not better in some places) as the inside of many prestige SUVs.