Mazda CX-5 details revealed

By Paul Bond

14th June 2011

Look out Landrover! Mazda is set to join the space race in the compact SUV market with a new 4x4 that will take aim at the Freelander.

Based on the Minagi concept car (pictured) the CX-5 will also be Mazda's most advanced and economical models yet. While there are still no official images, the firm has revealed its plans for the engine line-up.

Powered by a new family of SKYACTIV engines and transmissions, and using a rigid lightweight body, Mazda claims that the new car will become a class leader for economy, emissions, and performance – with the 173bhp 2.2-litre diesel version producing less than 120g/km of C02.

Simply put, the key to SKYACTIV technology is improving the efficiency of standard combustion engines, helping to unlock their full potential, rather than adding expensive and heavy electric motors and batteries.

The new oil-burner is 20 percent more economical than the outgoing 2.2, but has up to 50Nm more torque available from as low as 1,200rpm. Expected to be the best seller in the CX-5, the new diesel engine is a revelation, and pull cleaning and smoothly to its 5,200rpm redline. It’s unlike any diesel currently on sale, and has the kind of eager responses usually associated with petrol cars.

Underpinning the CX-5 will be a new modular chassis and suspension setup that will underpin a whole new range of Mazdas, including the forthcoming replacement for the Mazda 6 saloon.

Jeremy Thompson, MD of Mazda UK, said that in the past the company had often been criticized for its bland cabins, but that the new model “would mark a significant step forward… the interior design will definitely match the exterior”.