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Mazda5 2.0 DISI

Japanese firm makes a style statement with all-new MPV

Mazda 5

By Tom Phillips

June 2010

  • Rating:

It’s the Mazda that goes with the flow. The all-new 5 MPV is the first car to be completely styled using the firm’s nagare design language. Meaning flow in Japanese, it gives the car a controversial look that’s sure to divide opinion. The car doesn’t arrive in the UK until October, but Auto Express attended a special sneak peak event to get to grips with Mazda’s new challenger.

The newcomer’s looks are immediately striking. It the front, the 5 shares its nose, complete with gaping grille, with the Mazda3, which also provides the underpinnings for the MPV. But it’s in profile that the nagare influence is most felt, with three waves which undulate down each flank. The creases in the bodywork are sensitive to colour, so on lighter cars you barely notice the striking lines.

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Mazda 5

 

It’s the car’s rear which is really set to split opinion. Thanks to the rising shoulderline, there’s a large mass of metal between the bottom of the rear screen and the taillights. This serves to make the rear end look bulky and rather ungainly. The runners for the sliding rear doors are fairly well incorporated, but neither this nor the taillights look as good as the simple yet elegant form of the previous car.

Once inside, the interior is one of Mazda’s best. The dash is awash with buttons, but all the major controls are easy to operate and are located intuitively, from the electric sliding door releases to the air conditioning controls.

As before, the 5 features flexible Karakuri seating for seven. The middle bench seats three, with the middle chair folding into each outer chair when not needed, aiding access to the rear.

The middle row tilts and slides forward, further improving access to the pair of rear chairs. Sub-six foot adults will be able to make short trips here, but they are better suited to children. With the rear row of seats up, boot space is tight, but the seats tumble forward with ease, leaving an ample load space which hides a small underfloor storage area and full-size spare.

Around 60 per cent of Mazda5s are bought by private owners, meaning that the car is likely to cover fewer miles, making the 2.0-litre petrol likely to account for half of sales. The engine is very quiet and refined, and features Mazda’s very clever i-stop stop start system which aligns and primes the pistons when stationary for a faster re-start.

However, on the move, its not the most responsive unit, particularly now the gear ratios in the six-speed gearbox have been lengthened to reduce all-important CO2 emissions. Mazda’s downsized, turbocharged SKY units, due early in 2011, can’t come soon enough, but in the meantime, it may be worth waiting for the 1.6-litre diesel due shortly after the car is launched here.

Aside from the engine, a lot of work has been done to make the steering more linear – or Touitsu-kan in Japanese. Just like the VW Touran and a number of BMW models, the steering column features a rubber damper which reduces the impact of sharp inputs, making for a smoother ride for passengers.

The platform is distantly related to the Ford Focus, so the 5 drives very well indeed. The ride is very comfortable, even on 17-inch wheels, and the new steering only helps the precision you have to place the car on the road – it almost drives too well for a car that will spend its life ferrying people and luggage from A to B.

For an alternative review of the latest Mazda 5 visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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9 Comments

What a Mess

As someone who owns the original 5 I can tell that this is a basic re-skin of the old model - not a new model or something that has been completely styled using the firm’s nagare design language, whatever that may mean.

The Mazda 5 is an exceptionally good car and the old one looked sharp and cool. What a shame they've styled this to look er....horrible.


By IronChicken on 24 June, 2010, 12:49pm

What a Mess

As someone who owns the original 5 I can tell that this is a basic re-skin of the old model - not a new model or something that has been completely styled using the firm’s nagare design language, whatever that may mean.

The Mazda 5 is an exceptionally good car and the old one looked sharp and cool. What a shame they've styled this to look er....horrible.


By IronChicken on 24 June, 2010, 1:44pm

At Last ....

I have been waiting for almost 4 years for a replacement to my CMAX.
I like the current Cmax but didnt pay out for what was just a face lift, I nearly bought the current Mazda 5 and went down to a showroom and the sales chap said Mazda were not bring ing out a replacement. I did a search on autoexpress in the showroom and showed the salesman...(opps he said , yes well actually ...erm yes Sir there is a replacement due out later this year!)
Righto, I'll just wait...So now I'm waiting... but will be interesting when Ford bring out there new Cmax & cmax Grand, lets just hope its before the new 20% vat rise.....

By rubarb on 24 June, 2010, 4:55pm

Who signs off these monstrosities? She ain't no looker, but if she drives well and is priced correctly families will no doubt fill Mazda's order books. Mazda missed a trick though, could have improved on the old 5's styling not diminshed it and it would be a car any family would have been pleased to show off to the neighbours. The priv glass in the rear is a good idea; it means the kids shouldn't be spotted by their friends on the school run!

By Focus_your_mind on 25 June, 2010, 10:24am

Oh dear...

It's a panel-beaters nightmare...

By Squirrel on 29 June, 2010, 3:04am

Rubbish from a rubbish manufacturer

Car design takes another dip into the ridiculous - what kind of manufacturer copies a horrendous design like the Sangsong Rodius?!!!
Looks like their designs are now on a par with their awful customer service

By gavsmit on 1 July, 2010, 9:41pm

Definitely not an "all new car"

The exterior of the car has been redesigned by Stevie Wonder.

The top half of the dash and steering wheel and instrument binnacle is new, but the bottom half of the dash, doors and rear of the car from the B pillar rearwards is old car (excepting the slightly different seat trim).

The current 5 is one of the prettiest MPVs out there and there are some fantastic deals from online brokers.

By chetsang1 on 3 July, 2010, 10:46am

One can rely on Mazda to be different, but.......

....this time, not in a good way. The front is fine but the rear is way too like the Rodius. Imagine what the courtroom would be like if Ssangyong sued Mazda for copying their design? - I'd defy any judge to stop laughing for long enough to give a verdict!!

By lairdfp on 6 July, 2010, 1:57pm

come on guys and girls give Mazda a break, at least they are trying, seen the new c-max and grand model yawn yawn, the sliding door stuck on the side so you can see all the door lines no imagination and the jump seat looks very simialer to the 5's and as for the others except C4 all others are very bland, I for one would buy one, it kinda grows on you

By sparks2001 on 25 September, 2010, 8:50pm

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FIRST OPINION

    The Mazda 5 offers space in abundance, and its clever seating and twin sliding doors make shifting people and luggage very easy. The new exterior look might not be to everyone’s tastes, but the interior is one of the firm’s best yet - particularly if you opt for the satnav system that's been co-developed by TomTom. It’s likely to give the new Ford C-MAX a run for its money in the driving stakes, and wil be competitively priced, but its let down by a small choice of engines.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £20,000 (est)
    Engine: 2.0-litre DISI petrol
    Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
    Power/torque: 148bhp/191Nm
    0-62mph: 11.0 seconds
    Top speed: 121mph
    Econ/CO2: 40.9mpg/159g/km
    Equipment: Air conditioning, gear shift indicator, 17-inch alloy wheels, Karakuri flexible seating, sliding doors
    On sale: October
     
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