since 1976
since 1976
By Lee Pang Seng
THE Mazda CX-5 remains a strong favourite among Malaysian SUV (sport utility vehicle) owners, even in its latest version, due to its contemporary styling. Rivals makes might have gone through complete design updates but few have achieved the same timeless look as the Mazda CX-5.
To give the CX-5 Facelift a fresh appeal, Mazda vehicle designers made a few styling changes that boosted its trendy presence and enhanced its appeal. It complemented the CX-5 smoothly and pleasantly crafted lines and raised its standing among peers with current styling touches as if it was a completely refreshed SUV.
It fully reflects Mazda’s KODO – Soul of Motion design philosophy that seeks to bring out the elegance of Japanese aesthetics and which is applied in all the models in the Mazda family range. We feel that the styling updates made were enough to bring out a new sense of being without disturbing the CX-5’s charming character lines that many are familiar with.
Instead of major changes, the Mazda stylists approach the facelift exercise in a subtle way, choosing to draw the onlooker in with newly woven lines and details. The front ‘face’ is given an uplift via three-dimensional elements such as having the new-design front grille positioned above a mildly changed lower bumper apron with a smaller centre intake to provide a sense of depth.
In addition to that, Mazda says the distinctive signature wings that extend outwards from the grille are restyled with surface forms rather than lines. The two dark strips that underline the lower apron are no longer there, thus giving the front a more flowing and wholesome look.
The slim and sleek sharply angled headlamps, which form the ‘eyes’, are redesigned along with the rear lamps. Both front and rear light units are now featured with four oblong LED (light emitting diode) lamps shaped like a Nike ‘pass mark’. The change is more clearly noted at the rear as it replaces the almost circular pattern that one identifies the Mazda SUVs with.
Completing the visual updates are the new design allow wheels; 17-inch units for the 2.0 Mid, 2.0 High and 2.5 High two-wheel drive models and 19-inch wheels for the 2.5 T High AWD and 2.2 D High two-wheel drive.
We had a go at the 2.2 D two-wheel drive over a weekend and came away impressed with what it could offer the person who would want such a model for high mileage driving without burning a hole in fuel cost. Having a CX-5 2.0 Mid in our garage, we had the benefit of making a direct comparison between old and new, styling-wise.
The diesel power experience was more of a comparison with what was in the market. For one, diesel clatter at idling is a typical characteristic but the Mazda SkyActiv engineering has delivered a 2.2-litre (2191cc) diesel engine that is just as quiet as what we have come to expect of modern diesel power units. This is observed while standing outside the vehicle.
On getting into the CX-5 2.2 D, the good firewall insulation suppressed the diesel clatter so much, we could barely differentiate between petrol and diesel power. There might be a slightly higher engine hum but none would be wiser, especially for the passengers, that this SUV had a diesel engine under the bonnet.
This was even more so on the move as the diesel engine gave us the good initial acceleration without much of a whimper and allowed us to cruise along quietly. Even when we stepped on the accelerator to pick up the speed to pass another vehicle, the low-revving turbodiesel engine hardly roared to provide a strong turn of pace.
Against the 2.0-litre petrol power that we enjoy daily, the 2.2 turbodiesel has more output on tap. It delivers 138kW (188hp) at 4500rpm and a relatively whopping 450Nm of torque at 2000rpm. Power goes to the front wheels via a SkyActiv Drive six-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Despite the 2.2 turbodiesel being more than 80kg heavier, there was no lack of pace.
Diesel engines work typically at low engine speeds and on highway cruising, the CX-5 2.2 D was merely strolling along below 2000rpm at 110km/h. That is the main reason why diesel powered vehicles are good on providing long mileages per tankful.
Changes were also made in the suspension system – MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link rear – in the form of improved spring and damper tuning. Mazda says the objective was to provide better ride comfort and driving quality by mitigating the vehicle occupants’ heads from pitching forward when going over bumps in response to driving input.
Our experiences here was with the 2.5 T High that we drove in 2019 from Penang to the Klang Valley, as both run on 19-inch alloy wheels with similar size tyres (Toyo Proxes R46 225/55 R19). The ride comfort was just as good between them although we found ourselves more biased towards the softer cushioning of our 2.0 Mid with 17-inch alloys. However, the slightly harder impacts of the 19-inch wheel and tyre combination might not be noticed by CX-5 owners in general unless they do comparison drives. In any case, our regular passengers seemed oblivious to the mild difference in ride comfort and enjoyed it all the same.
Similarly, we also found the bigger tyre combination having a slight difference in dynamic handling through winding roads. From what we could feel through the Electronic Power Assisted Steering, the 2.2 turbodiesel had a greater tendency to understeer; meaning it wanted to go straight instead of turning if taken through corners at robust speeds. We were more at home taking to corners quickly with our 17-inch CX-5 2.0 Mid petrol.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop us from exploring the 2.2 turbodiesel handling limits by choosing better cornering lines and making slight steering adjustments. For a rather tall SUV, the CX-5 doesn’t lean too dramatically when taking corners and this continued to be the case with the 2.2 turbodiesel.
As a High-spec model, the 2.2 D has almost all the premium features that we enjoyed in our previous SUV, the CX-30 AWD. We could lock and unlock the doors by using the front door handles, enjoy electronic driver 10-way seat adjustments and an electronic tailgate with programmable height adjustment. The last feature allows you to set the height at which the tailgate would open up to if you are in a low-ceiling parking environment.
A new feature is the ventilation seats for the driver and front passenger. There are separate buttons on the lower control panel in the central dashboard area for the respective seat and on very hot days, you could activate the function to enjoy cool air for the body via the seats.
Another contemporary item is the wireless charger in the front storage compartment of the centre console. This would of course benefit those who have handphones that could be charged in a wireless manner. It is also stated that the High-spec variants now get paddle shifters for a more engaging manual drive, although we didn’t use them during our winding road experience.
As facelift models, the latest Mazda CX-5 sees an increase in price of about RM5000 across the range, which is not unexpected. The CX5 2.2 D now goes for RM180,322.80 on the road without insurance (the premium paint version is an additional RM3,300). The five-year manufacturer warranty and five-year free maintenance (labour, parts and lubricants) are maintained for peace-of-mind ownership.
