Design

If the old Mazda6 was a generic sedan sketched out by a child’s hand, the new model is a riot of detailing. Up front, the grille has grown once more, pushing forward and deepening to give the car an aggressive, searching snout that’s picked out with slips of chrome. The almond lights of the second-gen car have become tauter, more like snake’s eyes, with daytime running lights running in crisp LED sweeps under the halogens.

That Kodo wing, as Mazda calls it, bracketing the underside of the grille and leading into the lights, begins the haunch-line of the car, which starts with muscular wheel arches at the front and then slides into a twin-creased side line that ends at the slightly tapered rear. As the first of those creases dips into the rear door, the shoulder line rises to notch away the side glass, the rear windows of which are smoked as standard on all but the entry-level cars.

Finally, there’s another chrome whisker across the trunk, with the rear light clusters deeply set into the bodywork, and an integral lip-spoiler in the lid. It looks particularly good from the front or rear three-quarters, where Mazda’s sweeping movement lines along the sides have a touch of the Infiniti or Jaguar about them. Although the effect is most impressive on the four-door, Mazda’s 5-door load-carrier, the Mazda6 Tourer manages to look distinctive too, pulling the rear side glass out to end in a crease of chrome trim, while the falling roof line and angled back glass make for a car that’s still sporty in appearance, albeit sacrificing a little internal space in the process.

Mazda fits 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, though the Sport model – as we had on test – gets 19-inch versions with twisted spokes. Similarly there are front fogs standard across the range, part of an ambitious package of no-cost perks that belie the sticker price. The daytime running lights are standard, as are the halogens and heated door mirrors; our Sport model threw in bi-Xenon headlights and power mirrors, among other things.

Engines and Performance

Four engines are on offer in the UK, split between petrol and diesel, with a choice of 6-speed manual or auto transmissions. The entry-level Mazda6 SE has a choice of 2.0l 145ps petrol or 2.2l 150ps diesel, both manual; if you want the auto box options on those you need to step up to the SE-L. At the top is the Mazda6 Sport, with a choice of four combinations: either the 2.0l 165ps manual, the 2.2l 150ps diesel manual, the 2.2l 175ps diesel manual, or the 2.2l 175ps diesel automatic.

The US, however, only gets a single engine option: a 2.5l 184HP petrol offered with either the 6-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. The manual is rated for 25mpg (US) in the city or 37mpg (US) on the highway; the auto transmission bumps both of those by a point. Only the Sport sedan is offered of the four-doors, though there’s also the Touring and the Grand Touring (the latter adding in some extras as standard); since we tested a UK car, we haven’t tried the US-specific engine.

As you might expect, the 2.0l 165ps petrol manual in the Sport version is the most instantly aggressive. Mazda quotes a 9.1s 0-62mph time and a top speed of 134mph, and though the car is among the largest in its class – 4.87m long and 1.84m wide for the four-door – there’s more high-tensile steel and other lightweight materials used inside to keep the heft down.

Mazda calls all this fettling SKYACTIV, launching it in the CX-5 SUV, and indeed the Mazda6 builds on the same MacPherson struts and multilink rear suspension, putting its power down through the front wheels. It’s not an MX-5, certainly, but neither does it wallow or slump around corners, and even in the Tourer model it’s possible to forget there are three seats and a decent scale load area behind you as you tackle corners with alacrity.

It’s the diesel engines that suit the car most, however, the 2.2l 175ps manual we spent most time with pitching its mid-range torque right into the sweet spot for overtaking at speed in fifth gear, as well as dawdling through city traffic in fourth. While diesels may traditionally lack some of the upfront verve of their gas counterparts, in actual fact the 2.2l in the Mazda6 shaves the 0-62mph dash down to just 7.9s. Even the under-tuned 150ps version does it 0.1s faster than the slightly more powerful petrol plant. In practice, of course, this is a sizable car intended for more sensible use, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the degree of enthusiasm the big Mazda can muster.

One thing you won’t find on the options sheet is a hybrid powerplant. Mazda tells us it still isn’t convinced that big batteries and electric motors are the way forward for eco-friendly cars, looking instead to engine refinement with a few tech sprinkles to keep things competitive. So, the big diesel is rated for up to 62mpg (Euro) combined – we saw a consistent 44mpg (Euro) in mixed driving from the manual version, topping out in the mid-50s on extended trips – with 119 g/km of CO2 emissions. The top-spec petrol version is more thirsty, with a quoted 47.9mpg (Euro) combined consumption and 135 g/km CO2. Opt for the smallest diesel, though, and you can trim CO2 output to an impressively meager 108 g/km.

Even though Mazda has bypassed big batteries, that’s not to say there aren’t some small ones inside the Mazda6. i-ELOOP addresses an issue most drivers probably don’t even realize is there: the cost on engine power required to drive all a car’s electronics. The audio system, HVAC, power steering and such are usually run off an alternator clamped to the engine, sapping anything up to 10-percent of its output; with i-ELOOP, the same regenerative braking principles hybrids use to convert shedding speed to battery power is turned, in the Mazda6, into a temporary source for the car’s electronics.

It’s actually a big capacitor, not a battery, but in practice it’s basically transparent to the driver (unless you cycle through to the relevant graphic in the instrument binnacle). As you decelerate, the i-ELOOP system is charged up; it can then run the electrics for around a minute, good for what Mazda claims is around a 10-percent boost in fuel economy overall. It works in hand with Mazda’s i-stop automatic engine shut-down, which temporarily cuts off the engine while you’re paused in traffic, but keeps the music playing and the climate control blowing without draining your regular battery.

Interior

Mazda’s track record in making sports car interiors puts the driver in the right place in the Mazda6, particularly in the leather-clad environs of the Sport model (SE and SE-L make do with cloth seats as standard), though it’s not the most imaginative dashboard we’ve sat behind. The sat-nav touchscreen sits on top of the HVAC controls, the stack broken up with a swathe line – thankfully not fake wood – studded with vents, and all the controls feel sturdy and resilient, but there’s not much in the way of excitement or superlative-design to be found.

The murky, underwhelming clock and HVAC display of the CX-5 has been spruced up some for the Mazda6, and we can’t argue with the tactile knobs and buttons. Similarly, the wheel is nicely sized (and leather-wrapped across the range) with Mazda sensibly deciding not to follow rivals and scattershot it with buttons and shortcuts. Instead, you get cruise control on the right and A/V on the left, along with a voice-command button we’ll cover in the next section.

There are plenty of storage nooks, including a deep center armrest up front and sizable door pockets, while in the back there’s room for three adults. Despite the sweeping roofline there’s plenty of headroom, too, the seats being slung low enough to accommodate those six feet tall in comfort. The stylishly rising waistline – along with the tinted windows of the Sport variant – can make things a little difficult to see out of for younger passengers, however. Still, the contoured seats do a good job of holding people in place, even if the driver is getting a little carried away with the SKYACTIV handling, and though firm with the Sports suspension, the ride front and back is not uncomfortable even on longer road-trips.

Those trips can be accompanied by a reasonable amount of luggage, too, thanks to a capacious rear. Seats up – they split 60/40, and can only be dropped down from inside the trunk for security reasons – there are 483l to play with, versus 506l in the Tourer (which expands to 1,632l when both the Tourer’s seats are down). The opening itself is wide and relatively low, though can conveniently be opened from the key.

Technology

Mazda is keen to position itself as a tech-first company, and so the Mazda6 comes with most of the options boxes ticked, particularly if you specify the SE-L or Sport variants. Across the range you get cruise control; electric windows all round; a 5.8-inch color touchscreen atop a radio/single-slot CD player; Bluetooth for hands-free and streaming; both an aux-in and USB input for audio, hidden in the central armrest; and air-conditioning.

Our Sport tester, however, cranks that up even further, with dual-zone climate control and keyless entry; parking sensors front and rear, along with a reversing camera; rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear mirror; power adjustment and three-stage heating for the front seats (with two memory positions for the driver’s side); and a Bose surround sound audio system with a total of eleven speakers and dynamic noise compensation using a microphone hidden in the cabin.

That’s a fair amount of gadgetry, and there are a few different ways to control it, some it has to be said better than others. As well as the touchscreen sat on top of the dashboard – which has a few knobs and buttons around it, for jumping into navigation, audio, and phone, and controlling volume and tuning, there’s a multifunction dial next to the parking brake which along with rotating can be pushed in four directions and pressed in to select. That’s surrounded by another cluster of shortcut buttons – again, for audio, phone, navigation, and setup, as well as two back-keys – in the hope that you’ll not reach out and tap at the touchscreen when driving.

Mazda6 Technology Review:

For the basics, like adjusting volume or whipping through radio channels, the dial works well, but things get a little more complex if you try to do everything with it. What would normally require you to simply stab at the screen to change or select can demand some adroit maneuvering with the dial, to make sure you’re first highlighting the right section and only then scrolling through it.

It’s worth taking the time to get familiar with it, though, as there’s plenty you can do with the Mazda’s standard-fit entertainment system. The radio supports the usual presets and digital tuning, but we spent most time using Bluetooth to stream from our smartphone: both local tracks and streaming services like Spotify worked perfectly, and we were able to control playback using the Mazda6′s steering wheel mounted controls along with see artist, track, and album information on the display, together with phone battery status.

USB and aux-in playback works much in the same way, and there’s a thoughtful notch cut out for you to snake a cable out of the center armrest so you can use the device while still having somewhere to rest your elbow. Up to seven Bluetooth device pairings can be stored, with multipoint for having more than one active simultaneously, and the Mazda6 automatically resumes Spotify playback when you bring your phone back into the car, and pauses/resumes either side of a call.

The Bose speaker system holds up to scrutiny too, filling the car with loud, clear audio that sounds fantastic. Bose includes its optional center-point audio processing, which adjusts the various speaker settings to remove some of the directionality of the music and make it sound harmonious no matter where you’re speaking (rather than, say, louder from whichever speaker you’re closest to). It’s better suited to some musical types than others, we have to say; classical and pop benefited, with a more even quality to the audio, but rap and R’n'B lost some of their punchiness. Luckily it’s easy to switch on and off in the settings.

In the phone page, you can optionally download your phonebook to the car’s internal storage, for easier dialing of contacts, and set a number of speed dial favorites. However, the Mazda6 can also suck out your phone’s text messages, reading them out to you so that you needn’t take your hands of the wheel or your eyes off the road. We had no problems being heard on calls, even competing with 70mph road noise.

Unfortunately, the same speech clarity can’t be said for the voice control system. For the basics, hitting the button on the steering wheel and asking for a phone number works as you’d expect, but when you factor in the optional TomTom-powered navigation system, it becomes more frustrating. In theory, drivers should be able to say an address and have a list of search results shown on-screen, from which they can select by calling out the list number of the right option. In practice, most of the time we struggled to get the system to recognize the address we intended and, coupled with the lengthy pauses before search results were returned, we generally resorted to manually searching using the on-screen keyboard.

It’s a shame, because the TomTom system itself works well. If you’re familiar with one of the company’s standalone PNDs then the interface in the Mazda6 should present few surprises, with comprehensive mapping data, live traffic updates, automatic re-routing based on hold-ups further along your journey, and a huge database of points-of-interest. A range of voices and on-screen icons are available for guidance, with instructions cutting into music playback as the track temporarily fades in volume.

Pricing

In the UK, the Mazda6 kicks off at £19,595 for the SE saloon with the 2.0l petrol engine, or £21,795 for the 2.2l diesel. The cheapest Tourer is the £22,545 SE 2.2l diesel. The 2.2l diesel Sport saloon we spent most time with begins at £25,495; you’ll pay a £1,200 premium for the auto gearbox.

As for the US version, the Sport sedan begins at $20,880 (pre-destination charges and other fees), while the Touring is from $24,495. The Grand Touring – which makes the Bose audio system, TomTom navigation, keyless entry, and other features usually part of the Touring “Technology Package” standard – begins at $29,495.

That makes the Mazda6 a little more expensive out of the gate than, say, a Ford Mondeo, but it also comes with a higher degree of standard specifications.

Wrap-Up

The old Mazda6 was, not to put too fine a point on it, forgettable. Seats and an engine in a box on some wheels. That the new Mazda6 surges off the forecourt with such eye-catching styling and on-road polish makes it a huge advance, and it’s one that in most areas punches above its price.

Curvaceous, swooping design makes the car distinctive and handsome, a welcome diversion from the Germanic crispness that seems to have proliferated among Volkswagen, GM, Ford and others. Only the somewhat frustrating usability of the in-cabin tech and the slightly less-than-gaping luggage opening (unless you opt for the Tourer) mar the experience. Meanwhile the driving experience is enough to make you forget you’re in a not-insubstantial four-door; we’d opt for the diesel engine and manual gearbox, if given the choice, which pairs decent economy with solid performance to match the capable chassis.

The five awarded vehicles are comprised of Honda‘s 2-door and 4-door Civic, Volvo’s XC60, Ford‘s Lincoln MKZ, and the Mazda6. All but the Mazda6 are 2013 models, with the Mazda6 being the 2014 model. The Institute’s crash test put a quarter of each vehicle’s front end into a 5-foot barrier at a speed of 40mph.

Other tests include rear, rollover, and side tests, as well as one designed to see how the car holds up when the front corner is crashed into a pole or car. The latter is known as the “small overlap test,” with vehicle’s being rated with either a “good” or “acceptable” rating, which is then factored into the ratings of the other tests.

Honda’s Civic stood out among the winners, being the first small car to be bestowed with the Top Safety Pick+ award. The car underwent “significant” changes and upgrades to its front end in order to improve its rating on the small overlap test. In addition, Volvo also made changes to score better on that test, updating its airbag algorithm so the side curtain airbag would be triggered by the impact.

[via Detroit News]

The luxury vehicles earned the brand a score of 79, with Consumer Reports having looked at Lexus models specifically instead of looking at all Toyota brands and giving a combined score. It did this across the board, with Subaru and Mazda coming in at second and third place. Competition included all the big names and many more, including Chrysler, GM, Ford, Honda, and Nissan.

Both Subaru and Mazda came in tied with a score of 76, just a tad below Lexus’ score. Subaru scored some points for the “sportiness” of some of its vehicles, while Mazda was ranked as having some of the most reliable cars available. Both brands were reported as offering good fuel economy, handling, and versatility wrapped up in a package with decent price tags.

Not surprisingly, 80-percent of the top ten brands are Japanese, with Honda’s Civic being noted amongst them for its refreshed design, but it didn’t do as well as some of its competition due to the CR-Z and Insight, both of which scored low. Among the lowest of the top Japanese brands was Nissan, with both its trucks and SUVs receiving low scores for being unreliable. Its Altima and Infinti, however, helped keep the brand afloat.

[via Consumer Reports]

The diesel engine that will be used in the car is called the Skyactiv-D, we tested out a SUV with the gasoline version of the Skyactiv engine in the past. Mazda Motorsports fielded three diesel-powered entries at the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race. None of these three vehicles were able to complete the race, with at least two going out with engine failure.

While the racecar looked a lot like the Mazda6 on the outside, it was built on a Speedsource tubular space frame. However, much of the diesel engine powering the car was stock. Mazda said that the engine had 60% stock components including the engine block and head. The engine is a 2.2-liter in-line four-cylinder turbo diesel producing 400 hp at 5000 RPM and 445 pound-foot of torque at 3600 RPM.

The vehicles raced in the new GX class where 400 hp was the target power range. Mazda says that a production-based version of the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine will be available in the second half of 2013 for retail sale. Pricing for the diesel engine option hasn’t been announced this time.

Although the two cars “will be based on the architecture” of Mazda’s new Miata model, there will be some key differences in what ends up on sale. Beyond the differentiated styling – unconfirmed, though we’re hoping Alfa Romeo doesn’t stray too far from the delectable 2010 2uettottanta concept by Pininfarina, shown here, although we wouldn’t argue with a convertible version of last year’s Disco Volante concept either – each marque will slot in their choice of engine.

Both versions will be produced at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant in Japan, and feature rear-wheel drive and two seats. For the Japanese firm, it’s a chance to squeeze as much value as possible out of its new design and manufacturing investment, vital if the compact droptop is to be financially viable.

For Fiat, meanwhile, Alfa Romeo has been struggling for some time, and the deal means producing “a modern interpretation of the classic Alfa Romeo roadster” needn’t be quite so impractical. Initial plans to reintroduce the brand to the US market later this year have been delayed, however, with the Alfa Romeo 4C now not expected to debut in North America until sometime in 2014.

Buyers in the US typically shun diesel engines in anything other than large pickups. That fact makes diesel-powered cars relatively uncommon on the US market. However, a greater concern with fuel efficiency has more US buyers considering the diesel option.

The 2014 Mazda6 will go on sale in January with a 184 hp 2.5-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder engine. Later in 2013, a 2.2-liter diesel engine will be offered. Mazda offered no pricing details on the vehicle or engine options during the debut. The addition of the diesel engine for the Mazda6 will make Mazda the second US automaker to offer diesel in a passenger car.

The other automaker offering a diesel engine is Volkswagen. VW says that diesels make up more than 20% of its sales in the United States. Even more interesting for fans of auto sports is that Mazda will be racing a diesel-powered 400-horsepower Mazda6 in the Rolex 24-hour endurance race next year.

[via USA Today]

The racecar is the Mazda2 B-Spec and the car fits into the showroom stock racing level. Mazda says that the B-Spec is “showroom stock racing at the most basic level.” You can’t expect to take one of these little B-Spec cars to the track and beat the Mustangs or Corvettes in a straight line. However, a good driver can torment those faster cars, bringing a grin to their face and those watching from the grandstands.

Mazda says that it sells the B-Spec “kit” for $2575. Mazda doesn’t exactly say what that kit includes, but it’s likely packed with things like stickers for the series and maybe some suspension goodies. Mazda sells a similar kit for Spec Miata racing. Other than the $2500 kit, the driver will obviously need the basic car and safety equipment.

Mazda figures starting with a used Mazda2, a racer could be ready to hit the track for about $15,000. A racer who doesn’t have the time to turn wrenches themselves can buy a car ready to race from a prep company for about $25,000. That sounds like a lot of money, but in the racecar world is actually pretty cheap. Mazda is also piling some contingency cash into the series offering a driver winning a SCCA or NASA National Championship $5000 and shot at driving in the Mazda Club Racer Shootout worth $75,000.

The 2013 version of the venerable roadster brings a refreshed front end and a couple mild performance tweaks. Mazda also fitted the car with a new pedestrian safety feature. It’s not clear at this point if the US version of the MX-5 will get the same facelift or when we might see it in the states, presumably the two cars will be virtually identical. The refresh brings a new front fascia with a larger grill.

Versions of the car fitted with the power-retracting hardtop will get 17-inch wheels, and a new color called Dolphin Gray Mica replaces the previous Metropolitan Gray Mica. The car also now gets a tan interior color option for the leather seats. Mazda tweaked the engine computer on manual transmission cars provide more linear throttle response. The brake booster was also modified to increase brake modulation performance.

Mazda also trimmed some poundage off the car as well. The new safety feature causes the rear edge of the car’s hood to pop up slightly when the vehicle senses of frontal impact under certain conditions to help reduce injury to pedestrians. That slight pop up of the hood creates more space between the hood and engine components to reduce the risk of pedestrian injury.

[via MotorTrend]

However, it does look as if Mazda decided to graft an RX-8 front end onto the MX-5. This will be the fourth generation of the MX-5, and it looks very nice. If the renderings and photos are accurate, it appears only the front end will change with most of the car remaining the same. The new 2014 model will retain the two-seater roadster formula with a folding roof and rear-wheel drive. One thing that’s interesting is that the 2014 model will lose a bit of weight.

The Miata/MX-5 has long counted lightness as one of its main assets and the 2014 version is said to lose 200 to 300 pounds bringing the car to a curb weight of about 2200 pounds. The car will ride on a new rear-wheel drive architecture that will also be shared between Mazda and Fiat as well as an Alpha Romeo roadster. The car is expected to get a small displacement four-cylinder engine of about 1.3-liters with a turbocharger to make in the area of 167 HP.

[via Car & Driver]

Mazda Motorsports announced today that it would be selling racing versions of the Skyactiv-D Clean Diesel engines to teams competing in the LeMans Prototype 2 or LMP2 class. The special turbo diesel engines are being developed jointly by Mazda Motor Corporation, Mazda North American Operations, and SpeedSource Race Engineering. The development and dyno testing has already begun and on track testing will begin late this year.

The engines are stock-block Mazda Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder, dual-stage turbocharged engines. Mazda promises outstanding performance and fuel economy along with the reliability needed for a 24-hour continuous race. Mazda says the first customer for the engine will be Dempsey Racing. The team is owned by actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey.

The new engine is based on the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but in Yusho duty, the car has upgraded internals from engine builder Cosworth. That includes new pistons, connecting rods, and a higher flow exhaust system along with the supercharger. The result is a concept that produces 237 hp and 202 pound-feet of torque. That is a gain of 70 hp and 62 pound-feet of torque compared to the base model.

The concept also has a six-speed manual transmission and when combined with the souped-up engine the concept is capable of a top speed of 149 mph. The concept also gets upgraded 17-inch alloy wheels, matte white paint, and suede trim on the dash along with an Alcantara steering wheel and Recaro bucket seats. There is no word of if this concept will make it to production.

[via Motor Authority]

Design

Distinctive is one way to describe the CX-5. Mazda’s traditional beak-lip grill has been enlarged until it’s a gaping maw at the snub-front of the SUV, making for a car that’s certainly noticeable in your rear-view mirror. Sharp hood creases dip down over hawkish headlamps, joined by muscular front arches that cut under driver and front-passenger windows that have an almost teardrop cut to them, bowing down to the wing mirrors.

In profile, that arch line is joined by a more relaxed crease down from the rear of the car, leaving the CX-5 with a high waistline. Combined with the dip of the roof at the back, it gives the Mazda a pinched tail that helps disguise some of its heft. Plastic cladding, around the lower front chin, underneath the doors and at the rear of the CX-5, is kept to a happy minimum, though there’s still enough to probably save you too much damage from a kerb ding or road hump. Darker colors, like navy blue or grey, disguise it even more, but lighter options such as the metallic blue and red, show off the Mazda “Soul of Motion Design”

17-inch alloy wheels with 225/65 R16 tires are standard on the SE-L spec CX-5, stepping up to 19-inch alloys with 225/55 R19 tires on the “Sport” model we tested. Both get tinted glass rear of the B-pillar, front fog lights and daytime running lights, while the Sport throws in Bi-Xenon adaptive headlights.

Interior

Even Mazda admits that its interior quality hasn’t been up to scratch in previous models, and so there’s been a distinct and deliberate attempt to improve the CX-5′s accommodation. Thankfully Mazda hasn’t taken the easier route out and simply thrown a bag of gadgets at the same old plastics: instead, you get a decent haul of kit as standard together with dash materials that hold up to more than a casual prod.

The driver’s seat is adjustable in all the usual ways, including for height and lumbar support, and the Sport models make all of those adjustments motorized. Dual-zone air conditioning is standard, automatically turning on if you twiddle the chunky passenger-side dial to a different setting from the driver’s, and with a straightforward “Dual” button to link them back up again.

Front and rear windows are electric, as you’d expect, and the Sport models have three-stage heated front seats too, which warm up quickly. Unfortunately there’s no heating option for the leather-clad wheel, which is manually height/reach adjustable. The rear-view mirror is auto-dimming, with an easily-stabbed manual override button, and there’s cruise control – though not the clever speed-adapting system in Mercedes and other cars – as standard too.

There are several advantages inside with the Sport model, not least the leather seats – available in black or stone, with contrasting stitching – replacing the SE-L’s sturdy black cloth trim, the reversing camera complete with useful on-screen guidance lines, and keyless entry. You also get an audio system upgrade, with the standard CD/radio six-speaker setup replaced with a Bose audio system with nine speakers. Both have a 5.8-inch LCD display which, if you opt for the “Nav” variants of either spec model, throws in a touchscreen and TomTom guidance. Usually that would be a £400 upgrade, though for a limited period after launch Mazda will be including TomTom as standard.

Bluetooth connectivity for pairing your phone is included, and we found it far simpler to hook up a phone and sync across our phonebook than with some rival systems. After that, we could dial a number either by tapping it out on the touchscreen (or choosing a contact), scrolling to it with the Multimedia Commander dial down by the parking brake, or hitting the voice-command button on the steering wheel and attempting to navigate by speech. The latter proved a mixed bag, and we had more consistent results using the touchscreen. Audio quality proved surprisingly good, filling the cabin even when driving at speed, and without undue distortion.

Our test cars also came fitted with the optional safety pack, a £700 upgrade including rear vehicle monitoring and a lane departure warning system, the latter of which sounds an intrusive and unmissable noise when its lasers spot you’ve wandered over the road lines on either side of the car. It demands decent quality markings, however: on some of the more poorly maintained roads, where the lines were faded, the LDWS system didn’t spot our cavalier lane discipline.

The majority of Mazda’s new focus on quality is successful. The leather trim to the wheel and gearknob mean the controls you touch most often feel premium, while buttons and stalks all press and toggle with a firmness more akin to a premium car than a mid-tier SUV. It’s not a clean sweep – there’s a swathe of plastic wood across the center of the dash which would look better as metal, and the display for the air conditioning looks more like something we’d expect to see on a 90s HiFi than in a 21st century car – but there were no creaks or squeaks to be found.

Moving back through the car, the rear seats lose visibility because of waistline, though headroom is good. That could be an issue if you have younger children who want to see where the CX-5 is going, as they could well struggle to see out of the rear windows. The seats themselves support a 40/20/40 split, folding down flat to extend what’s already a capacious rear load space into a frankly vast one.

Storage space isn’t quite on a par with some of the more imaginative cubby holes of rival SUVs, but there’s still plenty of space to accommodate drinks bottles and the like. The center arm-rest opens to reveal a shallow, removable coin tray, with the larger space underneath joined by a second power socket and a USB port. The door pockets will hold a small water bottle, while the glovebox gets its own light and is reasonably deep.

Engine

Mazda has a choice of three engines for the CX-5, kicking off with a 2-liter petrol mustering 165ps and then two turbocharged 2.2-liter diesels, with either 150ps or 175ps. Both diesels can be paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a new SKACTIV-Drive automatic that pulls in elements of step-auto, CVT and dual-clutch systems for smoother, more responsive shifting and better fuel economy; they also have a choice of 2-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Petrol cars only get the manual gearbox and 2-wheel drive.

There’s a huge bag of safety and performance technology that’s thrown in too, including ABS, emergency brake assist, traction control, hill-hold assist and a tire pressure monitoring system, but the three stand-outs are Mazda’s freshly-branded SKYACTIV, Smart City Brake Support, and i-Stop.

Smart City Brake Support uses the front-mounted lasers to track vehicles and obstacles in front and, as long as you’re traveling at under 18mph, automatically stop the CX-5 if you’re about to crash into the back of it. We tested it out and, though there’s quite a jolt as the ABS-based system kicks in, it worked just as Mazda promised.

i-Stop, meanwhile, automatically shuts down the engine when you draw to a holt, such as when waiting for lights or in stop/start traffic. It’s not a new concept, but Mazda implements it particularly well: it’s so smooth as to be almost unnoticeable in action, and all three of the engines are sufficiently quiet at low speeds that it’s only really the lack of vibration that gives away the transition. Restart is also incredibly slick, with less engine rattle and shake than we’ve found in a Mercedes E-Class. That’s no small achievement.

SKYACTIV and Performance

SKYACTIV is the big news, however, Mazda’s ambitious redesign of its engine technologies along with gearbox, chassis, and suspension. In fact, nothing has been carried over from the previous-gen cars: everything is new. The goal is to create an SUV that shifts, corners and generally performs more akin to Mazda’s MX-5/Miata than a family car. So, the manual gearbox has a truncated throw for more snappy changes, and Mazda has managed to achieve the hitherto impossible: a 14:1 engine compression ratio, the highest of any petrol engine and the lowest of any diesel.

The figures are certainly promising: a 10-percent decrease in engine weight across the range, with the petrol powerplant dropping CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by 15-percent, and the diesel notching that up to 20-percent. Torque is up, too, and the automatic gearbox has seen a 4- to 7-percent boost in fuel efficiency.

Does it work? It’s certainly the most enthusiastic and car-like of the mainstream SUVs we’ve driven, belying its near-1.5 tonne kerb weight. We drove the manual, Sport versions of each engine, and though we had high hopes for the petrol model, in actual fact it was the diesels that proved to stand-out.

Mazdo quotes 9.0 seconds 0-62mph and a top speed of 124mph from the 2.0 liter petrol Sport CX-5, but you need to work the gearbox hard to squeeze out the sporting potential. With 210Nm of torque, mid-range pull is somewhat absent, and we needed to plan further ahead than we’d expected for overtaking maneuvers to give time for downchanges rather than simply planting our right foot.

In contrast, the 2.2 diesel has 380Nm and 420Nm of torque for the 150ps and 175ps models respectively, and with peak power coming in at around 2,200 rpm. That means less shifting – though Mazda’s foreshortened gearbox is indeed a treat – and, coupled with a chassis that does an excellent job of clinging to twisting roads without wallowing or bouncing, it makes for a far more usable car.

Let’s face it, this isn’t an MX-5 and, no matter what Mazda claims, you’re not going to get pocket sports car performance out of an SUV. However, while you could throw power at the situation to partially address that, we’d actually opt for the 2-wheel drive 150ps diesel, rather than its more powerful AWD sibling. Sure, the AWS system is grippy, but the 2-wheel drive does a great job there too, and we’re not sure most CX-5 owners will ever get sufficiently near off-road terrain to make the most of it.

Meanwhile, although the more powerful diesel may reward a more urgent driving style when you’re stretching the top end, the mid-range model is impressively potent thanks to all that torque. The difference between the two was only noticeable when we really pushed the CX-5; at that point, you’d best hope you have no children in the back, else you’ll be cleaning vomit out of the upholstery for days.

There’s no small advantage in efficiency if you opt for the 150 diesel, too. Mazda quotes a combined mpg of 61.4 for the 150 (53.3mpg if you opt for an automatic), compared to 54.3mpg for the 175 (51.4mpg for the auto version). The lower CO2 output could make more of a difference, though, at 119g/km for the 150 manual (139g/km for the auto) versus 136g/km for the 175 manual (144g/km for the auto). That’s enough to make the 150 manual UK tax exempt in its first year, something no other SUV can boast. The petrol version comes in at 47.1mpg and 139g/km CO2.

Wrap-Up

Kicking off at £21,395 for the SE-L petrol (from £23,595 for the Sport), from £22,995 for the 2-wheel drive SE-L 150 diesel (from £25,195 for the Sport), from £24,695 for the AWD SE-L 150 and from £27,195 for the AWD Sport 175, the CX-5 is well priced against its SUV rivals. With five seats versus the six or seven of some alternatives, it’s perhaps not the choice for larger families, but its advantage is a more car-like driving experience that is arguably the closest the mainstream SUV has come to pairing an elevated driving position and decent road skills.

We’ve a couple of lingering questions about some dashboard decisions, though they’re minor, and you’ll probably need to give yourself some time to look beyond the snub-nose and learn to appreciate the Mazda’s styling. Just as long as you remember to tick the diesel box – and we’d push you to the 2-wheel drive 2.2 150ps one at that – you should be satisfied, and the saving from not picking the most powerful engine means you can step up to the fancier Sport spec too.

So far so good, but the CX-5 promises to be the first of many new models with the SKYACTIV ethos. We’re already salivating at the thought of a lighter, more agile and fuel-efficient MX-5, and of course there’s also the recent news that Mazda is planning to work with Fiat on a new small convertible. SKYACTIV may not have shown all its strengths yet, but it’s off to an excellent start in the CX-5.

The automakers signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding today. The deal will help Fiat improve its presence in the Asian market and add a new model to the lineup of Alpha Romeo sports cars, which are planned for re-launch in the US next year. The vehicle will be a two-seat, reward drive car and the automakers will change the body design and engine for their versions of the car.

Mazda and Fiat will also be looking to cooperate in Europe were Mazda has a very small presence with less than 2% market share. Fiat hasn’t offered any official comments and the final agreement is expected to be signed in the second half of 2012.

[via WSJ]