Subtle improvements make Mazda’s second-gen CX-5 the thing it has ever been: the driver’s SUV.
When Mazda launched the CX-5 some five years back, the compact SUV clearly stood out in its class with distinctive looks and a focus on driving pleasure.
That explains why a large chunk of buyers were men, unlike its Honda CR-V rival that managed to win hearts of many female clients.
Now, Mazda wants to grab some attention from women, as well, with its second-generation model launched earlier this month. So the first thing the carmaker did was inject more elegance into the vehicle’s design.
The front and rear lights, as some examples, are now slimmer. And when viewed from the side, the CX-5 is clearly differentiated from the predecessor with a gaping front grille and chrome accents on the C-pillars.
While such a treatment may lend the CX-5 more on-road presence, it may not probably be to all tastes as some punters want some ruggedness from an SUV. Others may also suggest that the looks are too evolutionary. Which is why we’d leave that judgement for you dear readers to make.
Like the exterior, the cabin design has also been redesigned with a new dashboard, door panels and seats albeit in a very mild manner. But go into detail and you’ll notice that many buttons and other controls have been lifted from the first-gen model. At least, such items have a tactile quality feel.
Because the new CX-5 sits on the same platform and wheelbase length as before, interior space is generally the same. The airiness the cabin has to offer can’t really match those in the CR-V, Chevrolet Captiva and Nissan X-Trail, all having the additional capability to seat another two people in third-row chairs.
But if you’re okay with five seats, the CX-5 is reasonably practical in its own right. The boot can be enlarged by folding the rear backrests down via levers placed on the sidewalls. As well, there’s now a power operation for the boot cover which is something that many of the new customers Mazda is targeting should like. Speaking of gimmicks, there’s now a USB socket placed in the rear centre armrest, apart from those up front.
As many buyers tend to go for the petrol version due to its lower price points, Mazda has added a new grade called SP which nets 19-inch wheels and a host of driver-assist tech that was once the reserve of the dearer diesel variant. But the SP trim isn’t that cheap, at some 1.5 million baht. There are the lower 1.3 million baht C and 1.4 million baht S with smaller 17-inch wheels.
The ride is now comfier.
Stylists will be quick to point out that the CX-5 looks better on bigger wheels due to the big fenders. Our test car came in SP form and the good news is that the ride hasn’t necessarily been compromised. Although you can still feel and hear the tyres, they aren’t that obtrusive. Actually, cruising refinement has improved thanks to better suppression of noise, harshness and vibration (known simply as NVH in car speak).
In order for Mazda to attract its new target of buyers, it has retuned the familiar-looking steering with more lightness. The suspension properties have also be rejigged in a bid to make the ride more absorbent. And to make the ride as flat as possible, GVC vectoring control comes to the CX-5 for the first time.
On the road, these claimed improvements seem to be justified. The CX-5 turns into corners with more intuition and the ride is more composed. It appears Mazda has managed to strike a fine balance between handling and ride which is something that’s not readily available in practically all of its conceived opponents. In other words, the CX-5 remains the driver’s choice of an SUV, just that there’s more comfort now.
There are three grades for petrol version.
Like the chassis, the 2.0-litre petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission have been carried straight over from the preceding model. There’s no four-wheel-drive option and power is delivered to just the front wheel in this petrol version.
As a result, performance is practically the same before despite the CX-5 being marginally heavier than before. The 165hp engine needs to be worked hard for real progress at medium to high speeds when it starts to become quite vocal, as well. And sometimes the gearbox is a little too eager to get into double kickdown. There’s a Sport mode that’s quite useful, not that it makes up for driving fun but to help keep the engine speed in its sweet spot.
Petrol engine is vocal when pushed.
Even so, this particular drivetrain isn’t that competitive anymore because it lacks the turbo tractability of the MG GS and fuel frugality of the X-Trail Hybrid. At least, it performs in a more linear fashion than Chevy’s peaky unit.
And while the CR-V may claim more performance, the CX-5 takes less fuel on the average. We managed some 12.5kpl, virtually a notch better than what we experienced with the CR-V in similar driving conditions.
This, in the end, doesn’t make the petrol-powered CX-5 an automatic choice in the sub-1.5 million baht price bracket thanks to a competition that is offering newer drivetrain technologies with similar, if some lower, prices.
This could be different with the diesel version which is something we’ll touch into soon. But for this petrol version, buyers would most likely need to appreciate its improved road manners (and maybe the looks) more than what the engine has to offer.
