Mazda CX-5 2012 News

The Mazda CX-5 was named ‘most beautiful car’ in the SUV, Van and All-Wheel Drive category -- ahead of the Audi A6 and Q3. About 200,000 people in Europe participated in the poll, which saw the Japanese brand’s CX-5 compact SUV take the 17.8 per cent majority against its German competition. “The CX-5’s win at the AUTO BILD 2012 European Design Awards is significant for Mazda. Europe has a strong reputation for being a global design leader and for the Mazda CX-5 to receive this level of recognition across several European markets and to beat established European competitors really speaks volumes for the company’s design direction,” Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver says. “It’s clear that the Kodo: Soul of Motion design language really resonates with customers and when combined with Skyactiv technology, the CX-5 has demonstrated that it has the ability to grow the Mazda brand both here in Australia and also in other key markets such as Europe.” The CX-5 is the first production model to showcase Mazda’s Kodo design ethos, which Mazda says “combines motion with the beauty and power of nature”. The contemporary aesthetic of the CX-5 has contributed to its success in Australia, with over 8000 sold here since its March launch. This is the second time the company has won an Auto Bild title – in 2009 the Mazda3 was labelled ‘most attractive new car’ in the Small and Compact category.

Major European vehicle safety organisation Euro NCAP, has highlighted the all-new Mazda CX-5, already rated as one of the best performers in its safety tests, for being at the forefront of its drive to equip all models with life-saving autonomous emergency braking (AEB). The system is not yet available here on the CX-5.  The European New Car Assessment Program organises crash-tests and provides fleets, company car drivers and private motorists with an independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Now the organisation has called on motor manufacturers to fit AEB as standard on all cars and says that from 2014 it will include the technology in its crash test program star rating.  Mazda's AEB system that takes over braking control if necessary, is called `Smart City Brake Support' and CX-5 is one of the few models on sale in the UK that has the potentially life-saving technology fitted as standard across the range. Typically available on more expensive luxury cars, real world performance data suggests AEB systems can reduce accidents by up to 27 per cent, according to Euro NCAP.  

It's an unprecedented roller coaster genre that is brushing off economic downturns, rising fuel prices and threats of high interest rates. But be aware what you're buying because the question here isn't about the genre's popularity, but the definition of an SUV.  For more than buying a socially acceptable, family focused, versatile and - in some cases - even chic compliment to a suburban concrete driveway that wears a trendy acronym, we're buying station wagons.  My father had a station wagon as did many of my friends in the 1970s and 1980s. The only way they became trendy was to occy-strap a surfboard to the roof. Or hang it out the retracted tailgate window.  But they're not trendy anymore and that's why manufacturers have decided to market them as SUVs. It's been 40 years since Subaru's L-Series wagon powered all four wheels onto the Australian market, arguably the first snowball in what has become an SUV avalanche. That was a station wagon. Today, its replacement is the Forester which is an SUV. Roy Morgan communications director Norman Morris, in analysing one of his company's recent reports on new-car buyer intentions, notes that sales of SUVs is continuing to strengthen at the expense of the medium-sized, large car and sports car segments. "SUVs are seen as flexible and versatile rivals to traditional sedans,'' Mr Morris said. "Plus, there's so many models for the buyer to choose. "In relative terms, cars are now very cheap. As long as this continues, and interest rates remain low, we see new cars as being a very popular choice over the next four years at least.''  In the three months to April 1, SUV sales as a whole rose 23.4 per cent as the Australian passenger-car segment barely moved with a rise of 0.4 per cent. Little wonder that most carmakers have an entrant in the SUV arena and, showing that the craze is unlikely to dim, even Lamborghini and Bentley have announced they will make an SUV.  Many SUV's have two-wheel drive, so destroying whatever off-road potential the bodyshape may indicate. More proof that if you own an SUV, you're really just like your father (or grandfather) when it comes to vehicle choice is the fact that car makers have used SUVs to replace their station wagon lineup. Ford now has the Territory and has axed its Falcon wagon; Toyota's Camry wagon has been replaced with the Kluger and RAV4; Mitsubishi's Magna wagon is now the Outlander and so on. Cleverly, car makers find that people want all the macho, adventurous romance that are promised by the physical presence - and big wheels - of an SUV, without any of the costs. Buyers want to sit up high so see over all the other traffic, and it's only after leaving the showroom that they become aware that almost 50 per cent of the other traffic is the same height. The more recent crop of SUVs have become a bit lower to the ground as buyers complain about the previous high-risers having an uncomfortable bodyroll through corners. Engines have become smaller to combat high fuel use.  The result is the small-SUV segment that rocketed 48 per cent this year compared with the same three-month period in 2011. It was bolstered by newcomers such as the Skoda Yeti, Mazda CX-5, Jeep Compass and Subaru XV. It was good news in the medium-SUV sector which rose 20.3 per cent with 25,895 sales in the three months to April 1, pushed by Mazda's outgoing CX-7 sell-off and incoming CX-5.  There was also renewed interest in the Holden Captiva 5 (up 190.4 per cent), Kia Sportage (up 49.2%), Land Rover Defender (up 118.8%), Nissan X-Trail (up 66.8%), Mitsubishi ASX (up 57.8%) and the CX-5 which has sold 1509 units in a bit over four weeks.  Mazda predicts that its new CX-5 - which is says should settle at about 1000 sales a month - will divide buyers with its front-wheel drive models grabbing 35 per cent of the share and all-wheel drive models taking the balance of 65 per cent.  Mazda's project engineer for the CX-5 SUV - and before that, the bigger CX-9 wagon - says SUVs are here to stay. "There may be a change to a cross-over style that isn't so high, but SUVs are here for a long while yet,'' Hideaki Tanaka said.  

Kids aren’t usually a factor in Car of the Year judging.  But child friendliness rates highly with women buying cars – and with women judging cars.The countdown has been kicked off to decide the Women’s World Car of the Year, and the kid factor is one the judges pay a lot of attention to.“Statistics show that women drive children in cars significantly more often than men – and that means women need to take that into account, both when buying and as judges of cars,” WCOTY president Sandy Myhre said from New Zealand.“Any woman who has grappled constantly with child seats and belts and children considers those things when looking at buying a car.  Men might too but the fact is, women drive children in cars more than men.“Women would not consider that aspect in a Porsche 911 more than a bloke. The point is, it can be considered in these awards - and that is one of the points of difference in these awards.”Myhre points out that significant research into buying habits show that in addition to buying for themselves, women have a major influence in household purchase decisions for big ticket items.Ford Australia, for example, says their research shows that women are behind the majority of purchases of the Territory SUV – either as single women buying one, or in influencing the joint decision with their partner. “A report from Mattingly & Associates in Australia concluded, in part, that businesses that didn't understand this influence would be hard-pressed to stay in business.  That report was aptly called 'When I've Made Up Our Minds',” Myhre says.However, the kid factor is just one of the criteria by which the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be judged.There are four categories in the Women's World Car of the Year – Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Points are allocated to each of ten criteria: driveability, engineering, comfort, child friendliness, style, interior, storage, dashboard efficiency, carbon footprint and colour range.The 20 judges from eleven countries have submitted their own personal short list and more than 300 cars were suggested. These individual choices were then whittled down to form a master list of 32 in terms of popularity. Judges will now allocate points for these cars from a criteria list.The announcement of the winning cars in each category and the supreme winner will be made before the end of March. The supreme award trophy and category certificates will be presented to the car companies concerned at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2012 – the Paris Motor Show – in September. The supreme trophy will this year be made in The Netherlands. Category-winner certificates will be designed at Peartree Studios in Colerne, UK.The first winner of the Women's World Car of the Year was the Jaguar XF in 2010 and the trophy made in South Africa was presented at the Jaguar boutique showroom in Knightsbridge, London. In 2011 there was a dead-heat between the Citroen DS3 and the BMW 5 Series. The two trophies made in India were presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. 

New showrooms, new workshops, new spare parts - it’s all going to be ‘brand spanking new’. Dealer principal David Mete said his company had bought a former doctor's surgery and neighbouring former bakery on Byrnes St.Plans were well underway for a massive revamp to create a premium quality auto dealership."It's a massive investment in Mareeba and district, and recognition of the support from locals that we have received," Mr Mete said.The new facility is anticipated to be open by the end of the year and will bring all aspects of the business, including workshop facilities, under one roof."It will be more comfortable and more appealing for customers and more efficient and effective for us as a business, and that in turn will also benefit customers," Mr Mete said.The new premises, at 313-315 Byrnes St, would retain a significant portion of the former bakery, but would undergo a transformation that will leave it largely unrecognisable. "And we have new models such as the Mazda CX-5 (available from March 1) and as always, great deals to benefit customers," Mr Mete said. "It is going to be exciting time for us and hopefully, an exciting time for our customers as well."

Just as Subaru launched its new all-wheel drive XV featuring a two-litre petrol engine with CVT and a thrifty fuel economy figure of 7L/100km that beats even the opposition's two-wheel-drive models, Mazda released its economy figures for the upcoming diesel CX-5 competitor. The CX-5 will arrive in showrooms in March with a choice of two-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines, but Mazda has so far only released its economy figures for the SKYACTIV-D diesel which comes in with 5.7L/100km. Subaru does not have a diesel variant. The new Mazda sub-compact SUV is the first to feature the full range of the company's new SKYACTIV engine, drive and transmission technology. The diesel models will all feature all-wheel drive and SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission.  Mazda Australia national marketing manager Alastair Doak says there has been "demand for a diesel-automatic combination, particularly in the SUV segment". Company spokesman Steve Maciver predicts the diesel model will "grab a larger share of the mix than we've seen on our passenger range previously". "We're not in a position yet to share any further details on petrol fuel economy or on pricing," he says. "What I can say is that we expect the CX-5 line-up to offer great value across the range and present a very appealing proposition for anyone in the market for an SUV."

Powered by a new 2.2-litre SKYACTIV-D diesel engine, it delivers fuel economy of 5.7/100km. It also the first diesel to be offered by Mazda with an automatic.  As well as best in class economy, the new engine produces a class-leading 420Nm of torque and 129kW of power.  The all-wheel drive CX-5 is the first Mazda to feature the full range of the company's new SKYACTIV Technology. "We've been keen to add a diesel engine with an automatic transmission to our range for quite some time. The development of the CX-5 and our new SKYACTIV Technology has given us this opportunity and, quite frankly, we can't wait to get it here," Mazda's Alastair Doak said.  "There's certainly demand for a diesel automatic combination, particularly in the SUV segment and with the right powertrain combinations, plus all-new technology and design we're confident that CX-5 has the goods to become one of Australia's most popular SUVs."

Christmas cheer goes out the car window when it comes to grabbing that elusive vacant shopping centre position. More than two-thirds of drivers (70 per cent) say another motorist has stolen a car park while they were waiting for it, according to an RACQ Insurance survey. It is so frequent, one in 20 drivers say it happens to them more than half the time they go shopping. RACQ Insurance spokesman Mike Sopinski said the holiday shopping rush created "an astonishingly high number of drivers who admit to inconsiderate and even illegal behaviour in their attempts to grab a shopping centre car park". "It's all part of the stress that snowballs at this time of year with last-minute shopping, noisy kids in the back, increased competition for the available car park spots in large shopping centres; it all adds up to frustrated motorists," he said.  "I went to the shops last Saturday and had to do a dozen laps of the carpark just to find a spot. When you finally find a spot and someone steals it these sorts of things raise the frustration levels of motorists and lead to car park rage." Worse than stealing car park spaces is the number of drivers who damage other vehicles and don't leave a note. The research reveals almost one-third (29 per cent) have had their car damaged while parked in the past 12 months and the offender did not leave contact details. One-in-five drivers said they would think twice about leaving their contact details if they damaged a vehicle in a car park and no one saw them. "That's a pretty malicious thing to do," Mr Sopinski said. Females are more likely to leave contact details (94 per cent) if they damaged a parked vehicle and no one saw them as opposed to males (86 per cent). Honesty levels improve with driving experience as 93 per cent of drivers over 30 would consider leaving their details, compared with 86 per cent under 30. "It could be worse at Christmas time because time constraints may influence motorists. All they want to do is get in and get out ASAP."  Males have problems safely navigating car parks with nine per cent admitting they collided with another vehicle in a car park over the past 12-months, compared with four per cent of female drivers. "I think males operate cars with greater confidence levels which may not translate into actual driving ability," Mr Sopinski said. Damage to parked cars accounted for about 15 per cent of all RACQ Insurance car insurance claims last year, with repairs costing an average of $1655. "It can be quite a substantial cost, depending on the model of car," Mr Sopinski said. Almost one in five (19 per cent) suffered scratches to their car from shopping trolleys, 11 per cent copped dents, and 15 per cent had scratches from car doors being opened on their car while 10 per cent copped dents.

Summer is a time of travel, when we hitch up the caravan or boat and head off to the hills, lake or beach in search of some well-earned rest and recuperation after a long hard year at work.Before we head off it's worth taking the time to check over the car to ensure it will survive the rigors of hot summer motoring. Start with the radiator, it's the vital component in the car's cooling system.Examine the radiator hoses and replace them if they appear perished, split or damaged in any way. Look for leaks around the radiator that could point to split, cracks and fractures in the radiator itself, and have repairs done as might be needed. Most modern cars are equipped with electric cooling fans that are temperature controlled, and only come in when the engine temperature climbs. Check that the fan is working as it should.Clean the surface of the radiator core, removing any debris that has accumulated on it during the winter. Check the level of coolant in the system. The level is checked on the overflow reservoir; refer to the owner's manual to see how it is done.Top up the coolant if the level down, and make sure you use the correct coolant as recommended in the owner's manual.More next week.

Even though we might make the commitment that we won't get swept away by the emotion of the moment and buy something we don't really need or can't afford we still find it hard to park our emotions when we walk into the showroom. The salesman waiting there for us understands this and won't hesitate to use it as a weapon against us. We have to understand that it is first and foremost a business deal and we must put our emotions aside. Don't make decisions on the run, if you're not sure take the time to think about it before committing to something you might spend years paying for. The smiling salesman might appear to be our friend, but he's a professional and has no emotional connection to us, or to the car we are buying. For him it is purely a business deal and his sole aim is the sign us up for as much as he can before moving on to the next deal. We have to have a similar focus. Do your homework before you set out on your mission to buy. Understand what it is you want your car to do, write down your list of 'must-haves' and 'would-likes', and have a list of the cars that could possibly fill your needs and wants. That way you will be well armed to resist the 'sell' when it comes. Resist being 'up-sold' by the salesman into something you don't really want or need. In this it's important to clearly understand that are not talking to the car company itself when you're discussing a possible purchase with the salesman at the dealership. The dealer is an entirely separate entity to the actual carmaker and might offer you products that have no connection to the carmaker, and importantly no backing from the factory. Typical products you might be offered are paint protection and extended warranties. If you are tempted to sign up for these products ask the salesman to justify their need when the carmakers themselves don't find the need to offer them.