MAZDA AND COMMANDER
You’ll be at the peak of your powers when you climb into the new CX-5
In Israel, you can swim in the Med, the Dead and the Red (Seas) in one day – if you’re fast.
In Scotland, you can almost do all the country’s ski centres in the same time.
In what turned out to be something of a marathon, I recently started near Aviemore, headed through Glenshee, continued through the Lecht to Tomintoul, eventually finishing at Olmeldrum.
I only missed Glencoe but I’m sure, had I demanded it, those nice people at Mazda would have included it in the itinerary.
The journey in the new Mazda CX-5 was stunning and demanding but it did emphasise one thing – Mazda may make beautiful cars but at the heart of their work is the drive.
This latest model (on sale at the end of this month) has been designed with the European customer in mind. Aesthetically, it has been stripped down, refined, with clean lines on either side, a big threedimensional grille at the front and a power tailgate at the rear for easy access.
Mazda’s signature red paint has been refined too. It now comes as Soul Red Crystal, which apparently absorbs and reflects light. It is certainly one of the most striking reds on the forecourt.
In the spirit of simplicity, the company now only do two trim levels, SE-L Nav and Sport Nav, because Mazda customers prefer a higher spec.
That means sat nav comes as standard on whichever car you choose and if, like me, you are driving the top spec, the Sport Nav, there are 19in alloys, a reversing camera, a power and tilt sunroof and a head up display all as standard along with a premium sound system.
Inside, the Sport Nav is all leather and I liked the stone leather (cream-coloured) with the exterior red paint – although probably not advisable for dogs, young kids or accident-prone pals.
The dials and switches are kept to a minimum but cleverly mirrored on the steering wheel, which makes changing radio station, for example, a safe and less fiddly business.
The ride height is high with lots of wraparound vision and everything focused towards the driver.
Mazda call this “jinba ittai” – horse and rider as one – or, if you like a human- centric approach, that puts the driver at the heart of the experience.
And in the CX-5 the driving experience is a joy. I was in the 2.0-litre petrol version of this new SUV and it was quick and responsive without being sharp.
The manual transmission was smooth and fluid and, despite the length of my journey, none of it was hard work.
There are a lot of firms who would like to challenge the Germans in the premium market. Mazda are leading the charge.