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Mazda CX-5: The Future Smiles At Petrol
MAZDA CX-5
FUTURE SMILES AT PETROL
Words by Carlo Brema / Photos by Giorgia Rossi
For the third time a Mazda CX-5 spends a few weeks in our garage. You could also start telling that it is not a case and in fact, being one of the best SUVs around, finding ourselves talking about it once again does not displease us at all. This time there is a substantial difference though, because if the first model was a diesel fitted with automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the second had a manual transmission and front-wheel drive. Now, in addition to a traditional 6-speed gearbox and clutch pedal, we have a petrol engine, the 2-liter Skyactiv-G combined with front-wheel drive for a version of the CX-5 that had not yet been under the our clutches. At Mazda they stress that the sales of petrol units have increased considerably and also because of that sense of general hesitancy looking at the fate of diesel engines in the near future.
What does not change compared to the previously tested models is the look of the Japanese SUV, sharp and that thanks to a modern design can stand out in boring traffic. The same goes for the passenger compartment, where the sense of premium is everywhere, thanks to precise assemblies and a choice of materials that leaves nothing to chance. Obviously there is complete connectivity for your smartphone, manageable through the 7-inch screen in the center of the dash and its special knob on the central tunnel, while the lack of all-wheel drive doesn’t make you feel that much, after all it’s not about a vehicle purposely devoted for off-road and the ground clearance guarantees to attack with ease potholes, sidewalks and bad road surfaces. To embellish the unit under test we finally have white leather seats, an optional that costs just € 150. The Soul Red Crystal paint that we like so much costs € 1,100, but a few years after its arrival on the market, represents a somewhat common choice.
On board you are welcomed by a familiar environment, everything is literally at your fingertips and all that remains is to start this 4-cylinder petrol engine, a 2-liter fitted with 165 horses. The gearbox is precise and smooth and I don’t feel the lack of the automatic transmission on any occasion, even if I must say that it would allow a more relaxed driving, to the advantage of further accentuating the premium feeling that the model has as its objective, nevertheless completely accomplished. Although there are 165 horsepower, the torque is only 213 Nm and with a delivery that sits rather high on the tachometer scale I often find myself having to downshift a gear in order to safely overtake another car. The weight stops at one and a half ton, which is not bad considering all the technology and a generous car body you carry around, but the engine seems to be more focused on comfort rather than performance. Nothing to object then if it takes just over 10 seconds to “shoot” from 0 to 100 kph and if the top speed stops at 200 per hour, but the optimistic fuel consumption figures declared in 6.4 l/100km does not reflect those obtained during the weeks at my disposal.
I have to admit that I had to stop refueling more than I expected and despite its surprising thirst, the 2.0 made me think several times how much the 175-hp diesel 2.2 was more vivid, thanks to its 420Nm of torque, available at just 2 thousand revs. So here I am at a crossroads, where I thought it would have been easier to prefer one version to the other. Basically it depends on the needs of the specific driver, because if it is true that to get a snappy engine you have to spend at least € 8,000 more thus choosing the 2.2 turbodiesel (now with 184hp) or the more unconventional 2.5 petrol with 194hp, the differences between the 150-hp 2.2 diesel and the 165-hp 2.0 petrol on which I am sitting are really minimal, at least in purely speed terms. If instead you look at the future of diesel engines with perplexity, the problem does not arise and this is certainly the version to go for, because it represents the best compromise in terms of quality/price (be aware that the Signature version with all-wheel drive starts at € 41,650). After all, you won’t need two hundred horses to take your children to school and go to the office. Bottom line this one, with Exclusive specifications, is already complete enough to confirm the CX-5 as one of the best models currently on the market today.
MAZDA CX-5 Skyactiv-G 2WD EXCLUSIVE
Layout – front-engined, front wheel drive
Engine – 4 cylinder 1.998cc
Transmission – 6-speed manual gearbox
Power – 165 hp @ 6.000 rpm
213 Nm @ 4.000 rpm
Weight – 1.515 kg
Acceleration – 10,3 sec.
Top Speed – 201 kph
Price – from € 33.950 (€ 35.200 as tested)
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