What’s new on the road
See this week’s motors selections from Hodgsons Car Sales, Chapmans of Norton, Des Winks and GT Garages.
Small revisions making big differences help keep the chunky Mazda SUV where it needs to be, writes Matt Kimberley.
WHAT’S NEW?
The CX-5 led Mazda’s charge back to winning ways in 2012 with the striking ‘Kodo’ styling that was then rolled out on everything else, from the 2 supermini to the 6 flagship saloon.
This is the first time a Kodo car has been updated, so, as you can imagine, Mazda has kept the visual changes to a minimum.
LOOKS AND IMAGE
You’d have to argue that the CX- 5 has been the prettiest member of the compact SUV class since it was launched.
It holds its own against any rival you care to name, so perhaps something in the CX-5’s image is struggling to shout loud enough to be heard over the crowd. You be the judge.
SPACE AND PRACTICALITY
An average-height man in the driving seat of the manual version leaves plenty of legroom behind himself. The boot is pretty huge, with a recessed bin at the side that can keep bottles or cartons from rolling or sliding around the rest of the load bay. A capacious covered bin between the front seats also has a removable coin tray. Handy.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
While the 2.2-litre diesel is a miracle of modern technology for how low its emissions are, it could do with more soundproofing. It does drive smoothly and sweetly, though, with a marvellous gearbox inspired by the MX-5 sports car’s, and body control that sits between the sporty and the comfortable, helping it stick to the road.
Mazda CX-5 prices start from £22,295.