Mazda CX-8
Mat Ranasinghe reviews the new Mazda that fills a gap between the CX-9 and economy CX-5
In a world that’s gone SUV mad, the new Mazda CX-8 fills a gap between the strictly business class CX-9 and economy class CX-5. Since the CX-9 can’t be sold in Japan because of its bulky proportions, the CX-8 is like a premium economy ticket. It has seven seats and is like the CX-9 but it’s slightly shorter and narrower even though the wheelbase is similar.
So let’s see if the new CX-8 matches up to our premium economy aspirations.
In keeping with Mazda’s ‘KODO Soul of Motion’ design philosophy, the CX-8 is one of the best looking Japanese SUVs around. It’s a world away from designs such as Toyota’s Prado or Subaru’s Forester both of which aren’t exactly large.
Mazda’s designs flow seamlessly without heavy geometric lines or creases to form almost sculptural perfection. The grille boldly protrudes from the flowing shape as do the rear lamps while the front lamps are set into the body.
It’s a thing of beauty and if we had to find something to critique it would be that now, all Mazda models look very similar.
The untrained eye would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a CX-5 and CX-8 from the front, or a CX-9 and CX-8 from the sides and rear. The main difference on the outside is that the CX-8 is 17 centimetres shorter and 13 centimetres narrower than the CX-9.
Upon stepping inside, we find premium soft touch materials and finishes. The highest spec model has Nappa leather seats and real wood trim. The air vents are beautifully presented with an aluminium finish. There are three seating configurations that can be ordered depending on the trim level you opt for.
First, there are the standard seven seats; then a six seater variant with an individual captain’s seat for the second row and a walk-through gap in-between the seats to the third row. The final configuration is once again the six
seat layout with a centre console between the second row seats. We’re not huge fans of this and would much rather have either the seven or six seats with a walk-through considering that the bulky centre console is hardly practical.
What’s admirable is that even the third row seats are comfortable with plenty of legroom for adults. This is in stark contrast to the third row in a Nissan X-Trail or Land Rover Discovery Sport where the seats are strictly child sized. It falls short of the CX-9 in respect of boot capacity, third row headroom and width of seats; but all told, it’s way better than most seven seaters in its class.
The high spec model we drove had a powered tailgate along with a 360 degree camera system while the lower end makes do with a rear camera and parking sensors. It’s also matched up to a Bose infotainment system with Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a heads-up display to keep you updated along with radar based cruise control that has the ability to stop and restart in traffic.
The 2.5-litre naturally aspirated power plant is adequate but has nowhere near the torque of the 2.5-litre turbo or 2.2-litre diesel. We’d suggest the 2.2-litre diesel because it gives a reasonable economy figure with plenty of torque and an extended range for every tank. Understandably the CX-8 feels less nimble around corners than the CX-5.
It’s beautiful, built well and finished using premium materials, drives superbly and accommodates seven. It’s reliable and refined especially, when it comes to NVH (noise vibration and harshness). Being a new model it’s unlikely to be replaced in the next five years.