2012 Mazda CX-5 Reviews

The medium SUV market segment continues to dominate the sales race in Australia so Mazda's introduction of a completely new vehicle in the class, the CX-5, couldn't have come at a better time for the Japanese maker. We have sampled Mazda's clever Skyactiv systems in other vehicles over the past year, but the CX-5

The "zoom-zoom" has been muted but Mazda is still poised to win a huge Australian SUV audience with its sensible, fuel-efficient CX-5.This is a family car worth waiting for and delivers on a promise of low ownership and running costs, style, practicality and affordability. Despite the petrol engine feeling a bit anaesthetised - at sharp odds with Mazda's sports-driven zoom-zoom catch cry - this SUV does pretty much everything right. Not something its rivals will want to read. The five-seater wagon replaces Mazda's popular CX-7 but the tip is that the newcomer will almost double its sales.Mazda says the CX-5 channels a lot of the factors that last year made its Mazda3 the best-selling car to private Australian buyers. That includes a bit of style, a bucketload of standard features, the strength of the Mazda name and the keen pricing. Only the petrol was offered for testing at the Canberra launch last week. The 2-litre petrol version is on sale now but you'll have to wait another two weeks for the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel that has a $3000 premium. Buyers undecided about which fuel they want to use in their next car are advised to wait the two weeks and compare before laying down your cash.Prices start at $27,800 for a front-wheel drive, six-speed manual Maxx model. Standard gear includes a four-speaker, Bluetooth-equipped audio, reverse camera, six airbags, sat-nav and even tyre pressure monitoring. Prices rise in accordance with features and top out around the mid-$40,000 mark with the diesel automatic, leather padded Grand Touring. Best value is the petrol Maxx Sport automatic ($32,300) with the two-wheel drive version being the most practical for city and suburban owners. That's all in the same paddock as the rivals but I'd argue that the feature list in the Mazda is stronger and the clincher is the CX-5's better fuel economy. Mazda offers a Tech Pack with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and high-beam control only on the Grand Touring models for an extra $1990.The styling is, unfortunately, a bit predictable as Mazda strives to appease all possible buyer types. It follows the theme of the Mazda3 - everybody loves these but ask someone to describe one for identification in a carpark and the only answer you're likely to get is "blue". The CX-5 is bigger in the flesh that you'd think, thanks to subtly chamfered edges, abrupt and high tail and the wedge-shape of the side glass. The snout-like grille is its only point of difference, but even then it's a bit like the previous Hyundai Santa Fe or the dog-van in the movie "Dumb & Dumber".Inside it's also a lot of Mazda3 and even a touch of the well-built, clinical colours and switchgear of a mid-spec Volkswagen - that's a compliment, by the way. Leather upholstery is standard in the Grand Touring but the cloth of the cheaper models is actually more comfortable. Cabin room is very good and rear seats fold flat - either 60/40 or 40/20/40 dependent on model - while boot space is excellent. The spare wheel is marked "temporary" but is actually a proper tyre that has no speed or distance limitations like most other space-saver tyres.The biggest news is that the CX-5 is the first Mazda to sport all the company's "new wave" SkyActiv technology. This includes a new approach to design and engineering of the drivetrain, suspension, platform and body and will be progressively introduced into new Mazda models. As an example, the 114kW/200Nm petrol engine runs an astonishingly high 13:1 compression ratio in its engine - most rivals are around 9:1 - to ensure a clean burn of the fuel mix while maximising power output. If the jargon is hard to swallow, consider that it's sufficient to reduce the SUV's fuel consumption to 6.4 litres/100km from the 2WD CX-7's figure of 9.4 l/100km. Put that in dollar terms and it's a saving of about $650 a year in fuel. It's helped by a stop-start system that turns off the engine when the car is stationary.The new wagon's lightweight, high-strength steel body is 153mm shorter, 32mm narrower and 65mm higher than the CX-7 it replaces, yet though it has a marginal 50mm shorter wheelbase, it boasts a bigger boot and more rear seat legroom. It is also significantly lighter than the CX-7 at 1475kg (2WD Maxx automatic) compared with the CX-7 2WD automatic's 1589kg. That goes a long way to ensuring the CX-5's performance is up to par with the outgoing SUV, putting its 114kW/200Nm 2-litre SkyActiv petrol engine up against the CX-7's 120kW/205Nm 2.5-litre petrol.This is a five-star rated car with six airbags, electronic stability control and is accompanying brake assist and traction control. It adds hill-start assist and even in its base form has a tyre pressure monitoring system, rear vision camera and a spare tyre that will go the distance.The CX-5's unusual high-compression 2-litre petrol engine is almost identical to the new Mazda3 SP20 version and shares a quirk - it never feels very responsive. Part of that is the long accelerator pedal but most is the purpose-design "linear" power flow. It's aggravated by engine run-on after the loud pedal is released. But apparently that's the plan and is responsible for the excellent fuel economy.Of course, forcing the tachometer needle to live in the 4000-6500rpm band - as I did - shakes off the lethargy and the CX-5 becomes a lot of fun - particularly as the chassis is superbly taut and the suspension is just about perfect.CX-5 project manager and engineer Hideaki Tanaka understands and confirms the petrol engine's softness is deliberate. If you want response and more instant performance, buy the diesel, he says. Ride comfort is also excellent, tested over smooth bitumen and some rough, high speed tracks.The all-wheel drive promises more grip but the front-wheel drive is actually a more nimble, more fun drive because the car really benefits from the 70kg-odd weight reduction. The electric steering is also spot on, blending the need for city-parking lightness with open-road cruising without having any notchiness in the transition. I'd say the engine feel won't be an issue for most buyers and for the rest, they'll get used to it after a few months of ownership. Overall, the CX-5 retains the zoom-zoom DNA - just turns the volume down a bit.Mazda says the CX-7 fought hard against other SUVs in the "medium" category but couldn't match their sales - at least until its runout in January when it sold 1167 units. The CX-5 will ensure a 1000 a month sales figure, says Mazda Australia marketing manager Alistair Doak. The category  is led by the heavyweights Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Subaru Forester  (which may be replaced in this category by the new XV) who also each sell around the 1000 a month mark.Aside from matching its rivals on price, the CX-5 adds some extra standard equipment and the petrol-fuelled CX-5 trounces its opposition at the bowser. The two-wheel drive CX-5 petrol automatic compares with the similarly-specced RAV4, for example, that claims 9.1 l/100km, while the X-Trail drinks 8.4 l/100km and the Subaru XV - which is all-wheel drive - is 7.0 l/100km.But fuel economy isn't the only attraction. Mazda has also targeted ownership costs by specifying standard unleaded fuel for the petrol engine - some rivals need expensive premium unleaded petrol - though hasn't opted for a low-price, fixed service schedule as found on the RAV4.

The conversation was started by the Mazda CEO, president and chairman - Takashi Yamanouchi seemed a little disturbed that some of the Australian media were yet to sample the company's new compact SUV.We're in an early pre-production left-hand-drive vehicle for an all-too brief a drive, with European-tuned suspension on 225/55 19in wheels, not that the test track gives much clue as to the ride quality or handling prowess - the engineers point out that it's all still being sorted.What's of more interest is the Skyactiv diesel and automatic AWD, which is also destined for the next Mazda6 - foretold by the Takeri concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. While the company is still coy on final specification for the car, the diesel is a 2.2-litre offering 129kW and 420Nm in the high-power version - don't expect the 110kW/380Nm standard-power model to head our way.The entry-level car is expected to be the 121kW/210Nm 2.0-litre Skyactiv petrol front-wheel drive, which is available in six-speed manual or automatic guise, to slot in at the bottom of the range - perhaps below $30,000 - with top-end models likely to be mid-$40,000.Among the equipment on offer will be the stop/start "i-stop" fuel-saving system (which is standard range-wide in Euro-spec cars), as well as the low-speed auto-braking system (to prevent collisions below 30km/h), a lane-departure warning system and auto-dipping high-beam.The same 2.5km track which we've sampled the Mazda2 EV on - with slightly banked turns at either end - has varying surfaces but is mostly smooth and hardly a comprehensive route over which an SUV can be stretched, but we're not saying no to a drive in a model that is the company's first complete Skyactiv model and is expected to do well for the car maker.It's the response away from standstill that surprises - the diesel is turbine smooth, quiet and refined. The 2.2-litre aluminium turbodiesel runs variable-exhaust valve, a dual-stage turbocharger and a low (for a diesel) 14:1 compression ratio which - when combined with exhaust gas recirculation negates the need for the CX-7's urea NOx-reduction treatment system.Mazda says improvements in emissions and fuel economy are around 20 per cent to around 5.3l/100km, depending on drivetrain and model. A redline of 5200rpm is reached quickly and without any obvious strain; the power delivery doesn't feel as though it falls away much either. Changes from the six-speed auto are almost imperceptible at full throttle and even from the outside it sounds like a quiet petrol engine, not an oil burner.A competitor - a local but with a French accent - has a worthy drivetrain but sounds rougher and hasn't got the outputs or the road manners to match the new Mazda, rolling more into corners and proving less involving for the driver through the steering.The CX-5 feels well planted and has the dynamics that's now expected from the Hiroshima-based brand - it is close in size the CX-7 in many respects and it's little wonder the 5 spells the end of the 7 in its current form. The CX-5 will co-exist with the CX-7 post its March arrival, but Mazda won't say for how long.The interior packaging is good - a 190cm driver and similarly-sized passenger can co-exist on the same side of the car, headroom is good and the 503-litre boot space is also useful.

If you're contemplating a compact SUV purchase, it could be well worthwhile to keep your powder dry and wait for the Mazda CX-5 with Skyactiv. Skyactiv is essentially an optimisation program adopted by Mazda to make its vehicles use less fuel, feel better to drive, offer the highest levels of safety and perform well.Rather than go all out with radical new technology, Mazda paid careful attention to the simple stuff for Skyactiv. It's their answer to Bluemotion from VW, Efficient Dynamics from BMW, BlueEfficiency from Benz and other similar programs from most leading carmakers.Mazda's work on its powertrains sees direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and a high (for a petrol engine) 14:1 compression ratio on the petrol 2.0-litre four and twin turbo charging, variable valve lift and a low 14:1 compression ration on the 2.2-litre turbodiesel.Internal engine friction has been reduced and the diesel's exhaust particle filter is the only "after treatment" required for it to achieve an imprerssive Euro 6 emissions rating. The six-speed transmissions have been reduced in size and weight, altered for efficiency with a wider lock-up range on the auto and quicker shifts.The manual gains an MX5-like shift change and gearing accurately calibrated for each engine. Other efficiency changes have been made to the steering and chassis components.Skyactiv will be progressively introduced in Mazda vehicles and ushers in a few firsts for the company including the six-speed automatic transmission and a twin-turbo diesel engine. It will be applied to four cylinder engines only in capacities from 1.3-2.5 litres.Mazda sees its motoring future using conventional reciprocating petrol and diesel engines in a quest to cut fuel consumption (and emissions) across the entire Mazda range rests with Skyactiv. This will be achieved with little or no impact on affordability. A new Kodo design language comes with the CX-5's Skyactiv technology making the vehicle one of the most important from Mazda for a decade. While donning its "green" cap with Skyactiv, Mazda hasn't turned its back on a core strength of the brand – driving pleasure.The CX-5 has been engineered to compete with Europe's best compact SUVs and was benchmarked against the likes of Volkswagen Tiguan and X3 BMW. Engine stop/start called i-Stop makes an appearance on CX-5 in both automatic and manual, petrol and diesel models. It's partly responsible for the significant 15-20 per cent fuel economy reduction in CX-5 when compared with CX7. Weight reductions of up to 200kg have been made through better design and a reduction in physical size of powertrain components.The CX-5 itself is externally slightly smaller than the CX7. All wheel or front wheel drive is available with the diesel and petrol engines as is automatic and manual transmission. A number of specification levels will be offered as yet undetermined. Pricing should be close to the CX7.The CX-5 is an excellent drive in all variants but particularly the diesel in manual or auto. It is unusual in that the engine delivers strong performance right up to 5200rpm where other turbodiesel sign off at around 4000. It's super smooth and quiet and is infact nearly impossible to differentiate from the petrol engine in this area.The European spec' cars we drove (similar to what we'll get) had excellent handling and ride qualities coupled with sporty steering and braking feel. If it was our decision, we'd get exactly this spec in Australia.Though "disguised" for our drive, the CX-5 exhibits striking form with a family Mazda look to its face and sharp crease lines running along the side. The headlights have a predatory bird look and front screen is steeply raked. It has real presence on the road.Inside is along a similar modern and functional vein – with plenty of current Mazda equipment. The dash itself is a pleasing shape and there's plenty of room inside for five with a decent load space down the back.Though possibly not on the books for Aussie consumption, CX-5 ushers in availability of blind spot warning, lane departure warning and a version of emergency braking to prevent rear end collisions. The vehicle will get a five star crash rating.

Mazda has a long and venerable history of doing things its own way. Witness the Japanese car maker’s dogged efforts to make a mass-market rotary engine work, and its equally dogged determination to keep the rotary relevant in the face of ever-tougher emission requirements.Given this, it should come as no great surprise that when faced with the challenge of teaching an old dog new tricks, namely finding new ways to re-imagine the workings of the internal combustion engine, Mazda’s engineers took to it with gusto.Carsguide was among a select group of Australian and international journalists invited to Iceland last week to sample the new CX-5 compact soft-roader, weeks ahead of its global unveiling at the Frankfurt international motor show.As over-used as the term may be in the auto industry, the CX-5 really is as new as an all-new car can get, with virtually every key component having been reengineered in Mazda’s quest to drive down its fleet emissions by 30 per cent between 2008 and 2015.The new compact soft roader is the first new model to adopt the full suite of what Mazda is calling its SKYACTIV technologies, encompassing a range of engine, transmission, chassis and body initiatives.Given this drive was weeks ahead of the car’s global unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show in September, Mazda was understandably coy about pricing. Despite this, executives said repeatedly during this event that the CX-5 would be competitively priced against key rivals when it arrives in Australia in early 2012. From this we can predict a likely starting price for a base front-drive manual of around $28k, while a fully-loaded top-spec diesel auto all-wheel drive should tip the scales at around $45k. Final specification is not confirmed but expect a three tier range encompassing base, mid and luxury.While a competitive level of kit is assured, some of more notable possibilities include High Beam Control, Smart City Brake Support, Lane Departure warning and Rear Vehicle Monitoring System.At the heart of Mazda’s new-found ability to eke significant efficiency gains out of largely conventional petrol and diesel engines is cleaner combustion. By targeting the combustion cycle and taking a holistic view of the engine, Mazda’s engineers addressed compression ratio, air-fuel ratio, combustion ratio and timing, pumping losses and mechanical losses.In the case of the 2.2-litre petrol engine they bumped the compression ratio up to an extraordinarily high 14:1, introduced new multi-port direct fuel injection, adopted a free-breathing 4-2-1 exhaust system, continuously variable valve timing on the inlet and exhaust ports, and reduced internal engine friction by 30 per cent. The result is approximately 15 per cent better fuel consumption compared with the current Mazda 2.0-litre MZR engine, and around 15 per cent more torque at low to middle revs. All that, and the engine is also some 10 per cent lighter overall.The new twin turbo 2.2-litre diesel is likewise some 20 per cent lighter, but where Mazda pushed the petrol engine’s compression ratio sky high (excuse the pun), in the case of the diesel they’ve opted for the same 14:1 ratio which, in a diesel engine’s case is remarkably low. Most diesels run at around 16:1 or 18:1, but by adopting variable valve lift and recirculating the internal exhaust gases Mazda’s engineers were able to quickly stabilise combustion after a cold start. As with the petrol engine they’ve reduced internal friction by some 20 per cent and improved fuel consumption by 20 per cent compared to the current 2.2-litre MZR-CD diesel. And, because the engine burns its fuel charge so efficiently, it doesn’t require the additional exhaust system treatments adopted by rival carmakers to clean up NOx, yet still meets Euro 6 emissions standards.Behind these engines sits a pair of comprehensively reengineered six speed manual and auto transmissions. The new six-speed automatic features a raft of internal changes over its five speed predecessor designed to lighten the unit and improve fuel consumption. Mazda claims the gearbox is between four to seven percent more fuel efficient, with a large part of its enhanced efficiency being its ability to spend more time ‘locked up’, reducing torque converter slippage end providing a shift experience that’s nearer to the feel and efficiency of a manual transmission.Both the petrol and diesel engines come standard with a fuel saving start-stop function regardless of transmission choice.Mazda’s focus on delivering a car that is linear and easy to handle ensures the CX-5 is not only predictable and safe but also fun to drive. This focus on dynamics ensures a high level of active safety, meaning the driver is less likely to get into trouble or more likely to be able to avoid it. That said, the CX-5 is also expected to achieve the highest crash rating from Euro NCAP.A key element of its expected crash performance is the all-new body, which has been optimised for strength but at the same time lightened to, again, aid fuel consumption.The CX-5 is the first production version of Mazda’s new Kodo, meaning Soul of Motion, design language. A handsome, well-proportioned compact SUV, it’s similar in size to the current CX-7, leading to speculation that the future for that model is not for long.Aside from some black plastic cladding on the side sills Mazda’s designers have avoided the temptation to ‘butch it up’, so there’s no overt wheel arch flares or other off-road-inspired accoutrements.Inside there’s ample room for four, with the driver confronted by a sporty dash design that draws on cues such as the hooded instrument cowl seen on a number of existing Mazdas. The front bucket seats are comfortable and  supportive, with decent side bolstering and plenty of adjustment. All the major controls fall easily to hand and the steering wheel itself is a sporty three spoke design that’s satisfyingly thick rimmed. A new BMW i-Drive like rotary dial on the centre console accesses audio, multimedia and so forth.Rear seat passengers are well catered for with good ingress and egress and adequate space for my six foot frame to sit comfortably behind my own driving position. The seats fold 40-20-40 or 60-40, depending on what Mazda specifies for Australia, and can be lowered at the flick of a lever from the rear hatch. Once folded the seat base drops to create a large and near flat luggage area. With the seats up there’s still good boot space and, beneath the floor on Australian models will be a space saver spare. The single piece rear hatch is light and delightfully easy to operate.Four handmade prototypes were on hand at launch, each providing insights into the CX-5’s various drive train combinations, encompassing petrol and diesel, manual and auto, front and all-wheel drive.The need for the CX-5 to be fun to drive as well as functional was a defining development goal and has resulted in a vehicle that transcends the class in terms of driving dynamics. From its steering weight, feel and accuracy, to its taut body control, excellent manual shift quality and spirited performance, the CX-5 resets the category goalposts. The relationship between engine, pedals and gearbox is perfectly weighted and the short-throw manual shift lever feels positively sports-car like in its action.We sampled the petrol four-cylinder in two states of tune, a 110kW version specific to the Russian market, and a 121kW version that will go to most other places. Australia will get a different state of tune again, with a lower 13:1 compression ratio and an output between the two to allow it to run on standard 91RON fuel.The engine is smooth and energetic, doing its best work above 3000rpm but offering decent low and mid-range urge. It’s a fizzy, vigorous four-cylinder in the vein of modern Mazda power plants that’s happy to chase the 6200rpm redline.But it’s the twin-turbo diesel that’s the real revelation on the range. The engine spins with the eagerness of a petrol, revving well beyond the mark most diesels are capable of and making good power and torque to just 500rpm shy of its high 5200rpm redline, with barely any sign of vibration or harshness. The engine’s lower compression ratio allowed Mazda to reduce the weight of its internals, causing it to spin more freely. Couple this with the linearity of a twin turbo installation and you have the makings of a truly great diesel.The Icelandic roads threw up a good variety of sealed surface conditions, including sections of the coarse-chip bitumen that’s common in Australia, and here Mazda’s efforts to reduce NVH were notable. This has been an area of criticism in the Mazda3 but the CX-5 does a much better job of keeping cabin roar down, even on the lower profile tyres.The suspension engineers have also done an excellent job of endowing the CX-5 with enough compliance to absorb substantial humps and bumps at speed yet settling quickly and predictably after the fact.We sampled both 17 and 19-inch wheel and tyre combinations and found each impressive in terms of ride and grip. The larger wheel and tyre combo does impact marginally on ride quality but not unduly.