Test: Mazda CX-5 – Not new, but renewed

Another new Mazda CX-5?

Well, not quite. In this case, it is a model year update of the CX-5 and Mazda carries it out annually as you would expect. Often it is a new paint color or a different stitching in the interior, but in this case they have gone a little further. From 2023, every Mazda CX-5 will be a mild hybrid. And there is a new paint color and there are new stitching.

Still green accents in the interior of the Newground, but no longer around the air-conditioning vents.

So a Mazda CX-5 now drives like a Toyota RAV4?

No, because Mild Hybrid is not the same as Full Hybrid. You should actually look at it this way: the starter motor and the battery have both been stepped up a bit and instead of a toothed shaft, a belt now connects the starter motor to the combustion engine. That has a few advantages: starting and stopping the engine is much more civilized, the boosted battery allows the car to do that trick more often in succession and the boosted starter motor provides enough power to help drive a little bit, but again not enough to do it alone. Even if you don’t notice it, you save a few tenths of a liter of fuel for every 100 kilometers.

At the bottom, the four-cylinder lacks a bit of decisiveness.

Is it really different than before?

Unfortunately not. You might think that the turbo-free 2.0 and 2.5 petrol engines have just a little more life at the bottom of the rev range due to that little bit of electrical support. That is unfortunately not the case. The four-cylinder both run smoothly, but both the 165 hp 2.0 and the 194 hp 2.5 have to run a lot of revs to move forward a bit. The CX-5 has a decent towing weight (1,800 kilos for the 2.0 with manual gearbox, 2,000 kilos for the other versions), but if you go into the mountains with it you will have to stay in the bottom three gears. However, the six-speed automatic transmission (standard on the 2.5, optional on the 2.0) seems to work more smoothly since the model year update, although there are plenty of competitors that are faster.

Any changes to the chassis?

Not that you notice and it wasn’t necessary. The CX-5 is known as a nice driving SUV and that remains the case. The chassis is above average firm but not hard and that provides a very nice compromise between dynamics and comfort. The CX-5 has front-wheel drive as standard, but four-wheel drive is an option on the 2.5.

What about that new color and the new stitching?

Those are the detail changes that Mazda wholesales. From model year 2023, the somewhat rougher Newgrounds version is no longer equipped with a green frame for the air conditioning outlets and you can get a new color on all CX-5s: Rhodium White. Furthermore, little changes on the outside and the inside and that was not immediately necessary. Thanks to beautiful materials, tasteful design and excellent ergonomics, the CX-5 is still a nice car to sit in. And a relatively spacious one too, with a useful rear seat and a small 500 liter luggage space, which is neat for the segment. As before, prices start at just under 40,000.

Just under 500 liters of luggage capacity and in the Newground version a water-repellent layer.