The refreshed Mazda CX5 SUV is now in showrooms.
Their top SUV is offered in a comparatively small ten-car range, but it’s a very carefully placed model with a 165ps petrol engine and 150 and 175ps diesels in front or intelligent four-wheel-drive and a essentially two trim levels with six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
This autumn it was refreshed with a range of styling and equipment packs including dedicated lifestyle accessories for the active buyers and those who tow. We were able to briefly evaluate the updates last week.
Our 175ps 2.2 AWD SportNav manual diesel immediately struck me with its stylish interior and its powertrain is not only very smooth but also lively and economical, returning 54.5mpg over a mixture of main and side country roads.
Mazda has always made good manual gearboxes and its ease of operation suggests an automatic would not offer much advantage for another £1,800, while its positive steering and good brakes instill confidence.
At a fiver short of £31,400 it’s not cheap but it does undercut many German rivals and comes with the cache of rarity.
I liked the comfort, room and refinement of the powertrain and chassis as well as the clarity of the instruments, including a head-up display, and secondary controls.
It pulled well, cruised quietly and had enough reserve to quickly and safely overtake on main roads, and it has good towing potential. The latest Mazda CX5 is definitely one to be considering if you are in the market for a modern, stylish, refined and economical SUV.