Mazda 5
Not everything is what it seems in today's new car market. We have roadsters as practical as superminis, saloons as fast as supercars and people carriers that look like hatchbacks.
Mazda's 5 is a modern people carrier in a traditional MPV package. With sliding doors, an upright stance and a versatile cabin layout, it is a huge improvement over its Premacy predecessor and should tempt buyers away from the Zafira. For those who value practicality and solid build quality, the 5 could well provide perfect family transport.
Not everything is what it seems in today's new car market. We have roadsters as practical as superminis, saloons as fast as supercars and people carriers that look like hatchbacks.
However, there are still some models that stick to more traditional design conventions. Mazda's new 5 looks like an MPV that isn't pretending to be anything else, so will it attract the attention of family car buyers?
Based on the platform of Mazda's 3 hatchback - underpinnings which are also shared with Ford's latest Focus - the newcomer replaces the Premacy compact MPV, and Mazda's Galaxy rival, badged simply MPV. Neither model was popular in the UK, but their replacement has more to offer. Key to the 5's appeal is its seven-seat layout. While Honda opted for a six-person cabin in its FR-V, Mazda decided it was important to add a seventh chair.
The result, dubbed '6+One', comprises three rows of two seats plus a small, fold-out chair for occasional use, and the layout is superbly planned with plenty of room for occupants. Though the seventh seat proves tight for an adult, the cabin really is as practical as any in this class.
Facing the driver is a neat, ergo-nomic Mazda dashboard. While the styling and quality of materials are nothing special, it looks fresh and the high-mounted gearlever is well positioned.
Driven on a smooth, private test track, the 5's finely tuned underpinnings were obvious. The suspension set-up is softer than that of the car's 3 stablemate, which leads to more body roll when cornering, although the seven-seater still turns in sharply.
Having sampled both petrol and diesel variants, we predict that keen drivers will prefer the oil-burner. This has little to do with performance, and is instead down to the steering. Diesel models have hydraulic power-steering, which provides more feel and feedback than the speed-sensitive electric system fitted to the petrol versions.
When the 5 goes on sale in the UK in September, there will be three trim levels, with a choice of 113bhp 1.8 or 143bhp 2.0 petrol and 108bhp or 141bhp 2.0-litre diesel powerplants. While the oil-burners benefit from better steering, the 2.0-litre petrol model offers strong performance as well as excellent refinement. Mazda engineers acknowledged the need for lower noise levels to bring the 5 in line with European rivals, resulting in a people carrier that's virtually silent at idle and very quiet on the move.
Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox - diesels get six ratios - the 2.0 sprints from 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds. This petrol unit, already used in Mazda's 6, offers decent mid-range punch, only becoming coarse at high revs.
With exact prices still under wraps, it's not yet known whether value for money will be a strong selling point for the Vauxhall Zafira rival, although company insiders hint that the entry-level models will cost around £15,000. Priced competitively, this unpretentious new people carrier could be in contention for class honours.
