Refined and tough
f sult ion h ake h efore d reduced entryent and a aB Bose ten speakersp soundso system.s There’sThe also a heads-up displ display, front and rear parking sensors anda heated steering wheel wheel, meaning th the CX-5 gets more kit than most of its rivals. The spacious cabin offers room for five adults and the 506-litre boot is three litres bigger than before but this can be increased to 1,620 litres by folding the rear seats. The three power plants have been carried over with some minor improvements and I drove away the 2.2-litre diesel with the larger 175PS output, manual gearbox and allwheel drive. Performance is as strong as ever and the slick six-speed manual gearbox makes it feel as if you are driving a nippy hatchback. You reach 62mph in just 9.0 seconds with a top speed of 129mph and there is bags of grunt for overtaking. The claimed combined figure is 52.3mpg with emissions of 142g/km.
The new CX-5 provides a good driving experience with little fuss. It copes with all road surfaces and the suspension deals with any road imperfections. It munches motorway miles with ease and for a large SUV it deals well with the twisty stuff.
The steering is nicely weighted and there is surprisingly little roll on tight corners and the newcomer features Mazda’s G-Vectoring system to make it more agile.
As you would expect the new CX-5 is also crammed with all the latest safety technology to help keep you and your family safe.
I had the unique experience of driving the first generation model to Inverness where I collected the second generation model and was instantly able to appreciate the many improvements made to an already excellent product.
Heading back the next day from the Aberdeen area in truly atrocious weather conditions I was thankful for the limpet-like grip provided by the all-wheel drive system in rain formerly only experienced in the tropics.
This newcomer is certainly an improvement over its predecessor thanks to its sharp design, higher quality interior and fine handling.
It is one of the best family SUVs on sale and is a great all-rounder and competitively priced.