Semi premium
This is “the most important car I’ve ever been involved in launching” reckons Jeremy Thomson MD of Mazda UK Quite a statement for a company man of more than years but one that makes total sense against a backdrop of registrations that are down per cent year on year for obvious COVID and chip related reasons
Sitting on Mazda’s new uninspiringly named Large Product Group platform the CX launches exclusively as a plug in hybrid for now with cyl petrols and diesels to come Yes really Here a cyl petrol is twinned with an electric motor that gets its own clutch and so offers permanent all wheel drive through an eight speed auto box Combined the powertrain delivers bhp and lb for mph in secs making this the most powerful Mazda ever and the fastest accelerating bar the RX Strewth
Those are useful factettes to hand over to the marketing department as the CX is going after Germany’s finest ‘Semi premium’ as Mazda calls it quietly laying a trail of breadcrumbs away from nearby BMW Audi and Mercedes dealerships So how has it baited its trap? With the interior mostly the cabin is wonderful especially in top spec Takumi trim Feels very Volvo actually The tech works seamlessly too sensibly coupled with a rotary dial for use on the go
Thomson is also adamant that the CX is a “driver’s car” but that’s pushing it Give it the beans on a B road and you’ll notice how busy your hands get scrabbling for steering feel that just isn’t there The Ford Kuga is far more dynamic the BMW X more planted But in normal driving body roll isn’t too extreme and overall comfort is good It just won’t tempt you to take the long way home
Same goes for the powertrain At full throttle the engine sounds like it needs lozenges and what’s with the transmission clinging on to the lower ratios long after you’ve eased off? Work to be done there
A kWh battery affords over miles of range in EV mode and is sprightly enough for cruising around town Bargain on mpg with the battery full if it ain’t
All in all we like it a lot there’s precious little for a family buyer to disapprove of although bigger clans should wait for the roomier CX Finance deals start from ¡ on a ¡k deposit and business users could save oodles on BiK With ludicrous fuel bills coming this winter ‘semi premium’ might well be the order of the day