A recently added Sport 2.5 litre turbo to the range brings more performance and verve to the CX5 line-up.
Parked astutely between the up market Limited and flagship Takami, it features Mazda’s silky smooth Skyactiv-G 2.5 litre Turbo engine.
The exterior features black metallic alloy wheels and piano black exterior mirrors, while the interior looks smart and inviting with black deluxe leatherette/suede seat trim along with a black decoration panel. Contrasting the black mood is red stitching on the seats and steering wheel.
Turbo badging has been applied to both the Sport and the range topping Takami.
The Mazdacare programme enhances your ownership experience with a 5-year/unlimited km warranty and 5-year’s worth of Mazda On Call Roadside Assistance.
The cherry on top of the customer care cake and leaving cash in the back pockets of owners is a three year or 100,000km of free servicing.
The $58,995 2.5 litre Turbo Sport provided for this road test has all the attributes to become a bestseller.
A 170kw 2.5 litre turbo petrol engine shared with the much bigger seven-set CX9 is livelier in the smaller and lighter CX5.
Outstanding low- to mid-rev range heft deliver excellent throttle response and pulling power for an effortless and relaxing driving experience.
A turbo diesel like 420nm of torque works brilliantly on our hilly and undulating terrain and roads, and I sampled plenty of both in the test vehicle.
What we have here is a motor that feels and performs like it has a classy small six-cylinder engine but without the thirst.
This is easily Mazda’s most powerful engine and its best by a sizeable margin.
The same dependable six-speed automatic found in most Mazda cars these days is a ratio or two short on what some of its competitors offer.
I prefer a transmission with six well-sorted gears all in sync with the engine, rather than an automatic with eight or 10 speeds that are often tripping over themselves.
This Sport boasts a large array of safety features. Leading the charge is i-ACTIVSENSE offering Autonomous Emergency Braking, Advanced Smart City Brake Support, blind-spot monitoring and traffic sign recognition.
Other worthwhile inclusions are lane departure warning, driver attention alert, and radar cruise control.
There has been some finessing of the suspension and steering. Noise, vibration, and harshness is wound back several decibels, with discreet noise suppressing material concealed in the the cabin headlining.
The CX5 is deservedly on a pedestal for its exceptional handling across a range of roads and weather.
Sweeping corners or tight bends and some sub-par road surfaces that would make some SUV’s flinch, were among the treasures I unearthed during an extended excursion through our rural hinterland. These were all managed and negotiated with unflappable composure by the CX5 Sport.
Helping to keep a masterful grip in these situations is Active Torque Split AWD. This uses plenty of computer grunt to constantly monitor and control wheel speed and engine data, ensuring consistent traction when and where it’s needed.
It is not hard to see why this is regarded as one of the best driving mid-sized SUVs in its class, and it has heaps of that as well.
- Bob Nettleton
