The previous adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it” has by no means rung more true than with the Mazda CX-5. Tweaked for 2024, it nonetheless bears a placing resemblance to the second era launched again in 2017, and that’s not a nasty factor.
Examined right here in all-wheel drive Touring trim, which sits proper in the course of the vary and begins from $46,312 drive away, this variant is powered by a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. It’s good for 140kW and 252Nm.
It’s supplied in Everlasting Blue Mica (as examined), Jet Black Mica, Deep Crystal Blue Mica and Platinum Quartz Metallic, Rhodium White Metallic, Machine Gray Metallic, Polymetal Gray Metallic, Soul Pink Crystal Metallic and Zircon Sand Metallic.
The outside is unmistakably Mazda, and as such, a big grille dominates the entrance, whereas the headlights wrap across the corners. There are some sharp strains resulting in the bigger SUV aspect profile, the place you’ll discover 19-inch black and silver alloy wheels.
Black plastic trim strains the wheel arches, in a surprisingly nostalgic look. Inside, the instrument cluster options three spherical dials. Presenting a mixture of analogue and digital, it has some good touches.
We fairly like how the speedo locations a marker the place the detected velocity restrict is and it doesn’t get too vocal if the needle ought to wander barely over. A head-up show sits sq. in the course of the windscreen and may be moved round to your liking.
You may as well customise precisely what info you want to show, together with velocity and a blind spot warning. The inside is roomy, with black leather-based seats, that are manually adjustable and comparatively comfy.
We’d have appreciated a little bit extra aspect assist and a few extra peak adjustability although. That apart, a ten.25-inch touchscreen infotainment show sits within the centre of the sprint and options Mazda’s personal satellite tv for pc navigation and radio setup.
You may say goodbye to those while you connect with wi-fi Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which is an enormous bonus, though we did discover it will drop out once we went by way of digital toll cubicles.
In typical Mazda style, you possibly can’t entry the touchscreen whilst you’re driving both, so that you’ll want to make use of the navigation wheel within the centre console. It’s a little bit clunky to begin with, however we determine Mazda has security in thoughts right here.
Audio is performed by way of a fundamental, however first rate 6-speaker sound system. Mazda have included a wi-fi charging pad on the entrance of the centre console though in our check car, it merely wouldn’t work (apparently a standard situation in keeping with an internet search).
The closest charging factors, that are the one different, are below the centre armrest – not in or close to the wi-fi charging location. Second row occupants get a small, but spacious space with a fold down armrest, two cupholders and a few USB ports.
The rear doorways swing open to simply about 90-degrees for max entry too, and whereas a forward-facing little one seat would don’t have any downside, we don’t really feel a rear-facing model could possibly be put in with out compromising entrance seating consolation.
On the plus aspect, every of the three seats within the second-row characteristic anchor factors and may be folded down individually, providing versatility when growing the boot house is required. That cargo space provides 438-litres, expandable to 1,342-litres with the pews down.
The Touring encompasses a guide tailgate, however we like how the cargo cowl opens with it, including flexibility. The ground, which hides an area saver spare, will also be pulled up in sections, permitting house owners to customize the house to their liking.
On the street, the CX-5 is a good sized SUV for a small household, however its G25 engine feels prefer it’s working exhausting simply to perform energy supply. It doesn’t sound nice below pressure and simply feels overworked, or worse, out-of-date. That’s a little bit of a disgrace actually.
Gasoline consumption is a claimed 7.4-litres/100km, though the most effective we may do in actual world circumstances was a 9.8-litres – and that’s with Mazda’s claimed cylinder deactivation functionality. Mi-Drive provides three completely different drive modes for the AWD powertrain.
These embrace Regular, Sport and Off-Street. Sport holds the gears deeper into the rev vary, and generally longer than obligatory. Even after forcing an upshift (both by way of the gear lever or paddle shifters), the automobile would change down a gear once more.
The end result was pointless labouring from the engine. Maybe the demographic for the CX-5 Touring gained’t be utilizing Sport mode too typically – we don’t know. What we do know is that it feels nearly tokenistic.
Security-wise, there’s the same old airbags, plus driver consideration alert, ahead obstruction warning, lane departure warning and lane preserve help, visitors signal recognition, a reverse digicam with entrance and rear parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring, to call a couple of.
We discovered the final of those was a bit overly delicate, with the sunshine alert within the mirror remaining lively with a automobile seemingly a number of car-lengths behind. It may be a bit disconcerting out on the street, as you possibly can merge fairly safely.
Mazda supply a 5-year limitless kilometre guarantee on the 2024 CX-5, and all-in-all, this AWD SUV is a car that continues to be related as a succesful providing. In Touring guise, there’s sufficient niceties and creature comforts to maintain it on the consideration checklist too.
Yow will discover out extra on the Mazda Australia web site or by speaking to your native dealership. To get a low fee finance quote in your subsequent car buy, discuss to Australia’s greatest reviewed automobile finance dealer; Credit score One.
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Our check car was offered by Mazda Australia for unbiased evaluate functions.
