mazda cx-5 awd gt sport auto diesel

There can be little doubt that the family SUV market is probably the most important sector for any manufacturer, and once again Mazda has come up trumps with the CX-5, writes Bob Hickman.

For once the press car arrived just at that right moment, snow and ice everywhere and a 4-wheel drive vehicle was a useful feature. The CX-5 with its All-Wheel Drive was a gem to be ensconced within and to be able to utilise the AWD drive facility in the snow and ice that left many others’ floundering.

The CX-5 has a smart exterior, the interior is well specified and I do like the factor that the rear seats recline just a little to give the rear passengers a little bit of extra comfort, so often rear passengers are overlooked.

The technology on the CX-5 is quite astounding, the huge 10.25” infotainment display has one of the best satellite navigations I have experienced in many years, Apple Play and Android Auto features are also incorporated.

The CX-5 is a big vehicle, it will easily accommodate 5 people with plenty of leg and headroom. The boot at 560 litres will accommodate big suitcase, baby buggy or even golf clubs. If you need to carry a little bit more you can always fold the rear seats down.

The CX-5 is currently available with 2 petrol and 2 diesel engines, my particular derivative was equipped with a 2191cc 4 in line diesel, producing 184bhp, a 0-60 in 9 seconds and a top speed of 129mph. The fuel consumption, Mazda suggest 42.8mpg on the combined cycle but with my time with the vehicle it was all around town and I only managed 32mpg. Disappointing in this day and age but for the size of the vehicle and the terrain and the circumstances in which it was utilised, I found it had to be acceptable.

The standard equipment is quite extensive, a feature that I can’t do without now are parking sensors, and the CX-5 had the benefit of both front and rear sensors. Climate control, air conditioning, are also included. There was a plethora of electronic devices to help keep you safe including, blind spot monitoring, lane assist, cruise control and a Hill Launch Assist.

The driving dynamics of the CX-5 gave excellent all-round visibility, the 6-speed gearbox seemed to anticipate my every driving need and, in the snow and ice that I encountered on at least 5 days out of the 7, the vehicle found grip where even more conventional 4x4’s struggled.

From a driver’s perspective the GT version, that I had on test, had power adjustable driver’s seat with a memory. The front seats were heated and addition they also had a ventilation system built in, the brown Nappa leather really did look outstanding, brown not normally a colour that you would not normally associate with an interior, but it really did work a treat. The 10-speaker beige surround sound system gave concert performance whatever your taste in music.

The test car price on the road was £40,015, but this included £580 for the Snow Flake White paint colour.

All Mazda’s come with a 3-year or 60,000 miles warranty and they suggest servicing is every 12,500 miles or 12 months whichever comes sooner.