Mazda CX-5 - Compact with a twist
Small and compact, but roomy and comfortable, Mazda's new urban SUV is set to be an important part of the development of this type of vehicle market, which grew by 38,5% last year. sold over a million copies. Sales are expected to start in early 2012.
Mazda's new car has lines that combine hatchback proportions with the massive shape of an SUV. In general, the combination turned out to be successful, largely due to the style "KODO - the soul of movement", the smooth lines of which give the car a sporty character. The relationship with the SUV is mainly indicated by the higher setting of the bulky silhouette of the car on wheels, hiding in large wheel arches, and the gray overlay of the lower edge of the body. The lower parts of the bumpers are also dark grey. A large, wing-shaped grille and small, narrow headlights form the new face of the brand. Until now, this form has been used mainly in subsequent prototypes of various cars. It must be admitted that in a production car it works very well, creating an individual, characteristic expression.
In contrast to the body, densely painted with lines and cuts, the interior seems very calm and strict. The strict oval dashboard is cut through with a chrome line and a shiny insert. The center console is also quite traditional and familiar. In organizing the interior was primarily about functionality and ease of use. The seats of the new design have thin backs, so they take up space in the cabin. In addition, they are much lighter than traditional ones. Maximum weight reduction was one of the goals of the designers. Not only the seats were removed, but also the air conditioning system. Overall, the new Mazda is 100kg lighter than conventional technology.
When describing the style of the car, Mazda marketers write that the driver's seat should be more like the style of the car. Somehow I don’t see associations with flight, except for the outline of a flying bird formed by the center of the Mazda character in the center of the steering wheel. The CX-5 has the traditional car shape I expect from a compact crossover. The interior is solidly made of quality materials and trimmed with matte chrome. In the cabin, I felt good and comfortable, although he did not fascinate me in any way. The basic upholstery option is black fabric, but you can also order leather upholstery, available in two colors: black and sand.
The new Mazda SUV is 454 cm long, 184 cm wide and 171 cm high. The vehicle has a wheelbase of 270 cm, which provides a spacious interior. It can comfortably accommodate 5 people.
The trunk of the car has a capacity of 463 liters, an additional 40 liters are stored in a box under the trunk floor. Folding the rear seat allows you to increase the capacity to 1620 liters. The rear seat has three separate segments that divide the backrest in a ratio of 4:2:4. They can be folded down using buttons on the seat backs, as well as using small levers located under the luggage compartment windows. Each of them can be folded separately, which makes it easier to transport narrow items such as skis.
The functionality of the car is also created by compartments, pockets in the doors with places for liter bottles, as well as accessories. It includes, among other things, a multimedia and navigation system with an iPod connection and a USB port. The 5,8-inch touchscreen also supports TomTom-powered navigation with real-time traffic updates, as well as parking assistant with rearview camera.
The vehicle may be equipped with various electronic systems to assist or make life easier for the driver, such as High Beam Control System (HBCS). The vehicle may also have Hill Start Assist (HLA), Lane Departure Alert, Lane Departure Alert, RVM Blind Spot Information, and Smart City Break Support for low speed collision avoidance ( 4-30 km/h).
Like other urban crossovers, the CX-5 is offered in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. In the latter case, the distribution of torque between the two axles occurs automatically depending on the grip. Among the differences caused by the introduction of 4WD is a change in the volume of the car's fuel tank - in cars with all-wheel drive it is 2 liters less.
The higher suspension allows it to go off paved roads, but the chassis is designed more for fast driving on flat surfaces. It is to ensure the precise behavior of the car at all speeds.
There are three SKYACTIVE engines with direct fuel injection. The two-liter engine produces 165 hp. for the front-wheel drive version and 160 hp. for all wheel drive. The maximum torque is 201 Nm and 208 Nm respectively. The SKYACTIVE 2,2 diesel engine is also available in two outputs, but here the differences in the drive are not significant. A weaker version has a power of 150 hp. and a maximum torque of 380 Nm, and a more powerful version - 175 hp. and 420 Nm. The weaker engine is offered with two drive options, while the more powerful one is only available with all-wheel drive. The engines can be paired with a manual or automatic transmission. The performance differences are small, but Mazda lists them not only by different gearboxes and drive types, but also by wheel size. Therefore, we will give you only one option - four-wheel drive and a manual transmission. The petrol engine allows it to reach a top speed of 197 km/h and accelerate to 100 km/h in 10,5 seconds. A weaker diesel has the same top speed as a petrol car. Acceleration is 9,4 seconds. The more powerful diesel engine takes 100 seconds to reach 8,8 km (h) and reaches a top speed of 207 km/h. Mazda isn't proud of its city crossover's fuel economy just yet.
