Mazda CX-5 2019 News

Australia’s declining new-vehicle market continued its slide in April, with Kia the only top-10 brand to record positive sales growth for the month, according to the latest VFACTS sales data.

The Australian new-vehicle market declined yet again in January, with sales decreasing by 7.4 per cent over the same month last year, according to VFACTS sales data released today.

The 2019 Mazda CX-5 range has seen the addition of a new turbocharged petrol engine in the top two model grades, as well as enhanced standard equipment across the entire model range.

The Mazda CX-5 2019 range introduces a new turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine for the first time - and if it wasn’t for Australia, it may never have been available to anyone else in the world.According to Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak, the new 2.5-litre turbo engine - with a sturdy 170kW of power and 420Nm of torque - was identified by the brand several years ago, when it was first spotted in the pipeline for the CX-9 large SUV.“It was something we asked for - the US were also asking very strongly for that engine,” he said, indicating that it was the strength of the two markets that convinced Japanese headquarters to move on the idea.The new engine sits alongside the existing (non-turbocharged) 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre petrol engines and the 2.2-litre turbo diesel. The 2.5T petrol is only sold in the top two model grades - GT and Akera - but those models are expected to account for more than 40 per cent of sales.“It adds another dimension to the range, in terms of a more premium performance,” Doak said.“There are people who don’t prioritise performance as much,” he said when asked why the brand decided to keep the non-turbo petrol offered alongside the new engine in the GT and Akera models. “We’re all about choice - we live in the private buyer market, and we see the different motivations for buyers. That’s why we’ve kept it.”On the topic of the market, you may not have realised that the Mazda CX-5 is the nation’s biggest-selling SUV. Not just in its segment - across all the segments, this mid-sized SUV is the most popular in the country, and Doak said that’s been the case for quite a while now.“It’s the CX-5’s seventh year as number one - you do that by offering a big range and some good choices for customers."We don’t actively market - it’s never something we’ve chased, because maybe one day it won’t be. “It’s got a real depth and a rich story to the whole range,” Doak said.

Mazda's most popular SUV has just been fitted with arguably the brand's best engine, with the CX-5 now borrowing the turbocharged 2.5-litre motor from the bigger CX-9 in overseas markets.

Mazda Australia is preparing to roll out a new flagship 170kW/420Nm 2.5-litre turbo-petrol-powered CX-5 mid-size SUV, if homologation documentation on the Australian Design Rule (ADR) website is anything to go by.Although Mazda Australia is yet to confirm an official release, PR boss Sonia Singh said: "If it was something that was made available, I'd love for us to explore it further and see whether it was something that Australian consumers were after."The turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine looks to be lifted directly from the CX-9 large SUV, where it produces identical power and torque outputs at 5000rpm and from 2000rpm respectively.Mazda's only turbo-petrol engine also made its way into the facelifted Mazda 6 sedan and wagon model earlier this year in May, but is reserved for only the top-spec grades.The CX-5 – Australia's most popular SUV – is also expected to adopt a similar variant line-up as the ADR documentation also details the carryover naturally aspirated 115kW 2.0-litre and 140kW 2.5-litre petrol engines, as well as the 140kW 2.2-litre turbo-diesel unit.As such, the turbo engine will likely be offered to customers buying GT and Akera grades as an option.Also expect to see the force-fed CX-5 equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, 19-inch wheels and a standard sunroof.The turbocharged CX-5 is also 100kg heavier at 1675kg tare compared to its free-breathing 2.5-litre sibling, but compensates by lifting maximum towing capacity by 200kg to 2000kg – the same as the diesel-powered model.Timing remains unclear, but Mazda Australia could launch the turbocharged CX-5 before the end of the year or early in 2019.