Having pulled back the curtain on the CX-9 at the Los Angeles Motor Show last year, Mazda has used this year's show to unveil another four-wheel drive. Although it's smaller than the CX-9, Mazda has given the new CX-5 the same dashing good looks and sumptuous cabin.
From the outside, the CX-5 has been given a complete makeover with squinting headlights and a big, three dimensional grille. Down back the changes are less dramatic, with slimmer taillights and a curvier tailgate setting it apart from the current car. Although it's not quite as edgy as the smaller CX-3, it should still stand out in the soccer club carpark, which is a crucial test for cars like this.
Along with a lower center of gravity and wider track, Mazda has fitted its new G-Vectoring Control system to sharpen up the handing. Although it's simple, the system has been designed to put weight over the front axle by gentling reducing torque when it detects a steering input, before gently feeding power back to the wheels on corner exit.
Under the hood, the new CX-5 will be offered up with a range of three petrol and diesel engines. Petrol power will come from a 2.0 and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder at launch, and a 2.2-liter four-cylinder caters to diesel-loving Europeans, but there's no word on whether the high-tech turbocharged four-cylinder from the CX-9 will make it into the CX-5.
Inside, you could easily confuse the CX-5 for a more expensive German car. The screen sitting atop the dashboard measures up at either 4.6 or 7-in depending on spec, and the ten-speaker Bose sound system now has noise-canceling capabilities for a quieter, more refined ride on poorly surfaced roads.
There's even an optional head-up display, the type projected onto the windscreen rather than a cheaper, easier folding screen on top of the instruments. Mazda has put real time and effort into improving the way its interiors look and feel, effort that is really starting to pay off. The Japanese brand offers a touch of luxury its competitors simply can't match at the moment, from the 6 through to the CX-9.
The new CX-5 made its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show, where New Atlas is on the ground covering all the action.
Source: Mazda