CX in the city

MAZDA’S latest SkyActiv offering, the CX-5 2.5L AWD Sport

Last year, when I wrote about the 2-liter, 162-HP Mazda CX-5 (“SkyActiv Technology sets Mazda CX-5 apart,” Motoring, 8/15/12), I noted that “while the CX-5 weighs less than its competitors, its horsepower rating is also lower than theirs.  In fact, the CX-5 has one of the least powerful engines in its class, making it comparatively anemic in straight-line acceleration.”

That was last year.  For the 2014 model year, the CX-5 looks almost exactly the same with the 2012-2013’s “Kodo-Soul of Motion” design, but underneath its hood throbs a brawnier engine, the Mazda SkyActiv-G 2.5 that also powers the 2014 Mazda6 sports sedan. The largest and most powerful SkyActiv engine to date, Mazda Motor Corp.’s new 2.5-liter motor packs 185 HP at 5,700 rpm and produces 250 Nm max torque at 4,000 rpm.

Twenty-three more horses and an extra 40 Nm of torque deliver additional grunt that makes the 2.5 CX-5 with its six-speed SkyActiv-Drive automatic transmission (AT) more fun to drive than ever without dragging down its class-leading fuel economy. The upgraded power gives Mazda basis to assert that the 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.5L AWD Sport can spring from standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.8 seconds.

INSIDE, a 6-speed A/T, leather seats, touch-screen multi-info display, 9-speaker Bose sound system

CLASS-LEADING cargo room in the compact SUV segment

NEW GENERATION. Mazda’s Skyactiv Technology, if you don’t know it yet, consists of a new generation of gasoline engines that use direct fuel injection, an ultrahigh 13:1 compression ratio and low-friction materials to achieve exceptional performance and high fuel economy while running on nonpremium unleaded gasoline.  The 2.5L CX-5 AWD’s combined (city and highway driving) fuel rating is 13.5 kpl, which is impressive enough for a vehicle that weighs 1,586 kg. The CX-5’s outstanding fuel economy is due in part to its i-stop Start/Stop System that automatically shuts off the engine to conserve fuel when the car comes to a complete stop after braking, then restarts the engine when the brake pedal is released. By using  combustion energy rather than the starter motor, restarts are both quicker and smoother.

Speaking at the 2013 Manila International Auto Show last April, Hiroshi Kajiyama, the program manager for the new Mazda6 that uses the same 2.5L SkyActiv engine as the 2014 CX-5, said: “In particular, the SkyActiv-G gasoline engine realizes the ultimate efficiency for an internal combustion engine.  In recent years we have seen a boom in hybrid and electric vehicles, and there have been some fantastic developments in this field.  But these technologies are still facing the challenges of high costs and a lack of infrastructure.  Make no mistake about it, the internal combustion engine will be powering the majority of cars for at least the next ten years… With this in mind, we aimed to reinnovate the internal combustion engine.  Our goal was combination of power, torque and efficiency that defies common sense.  And the result is the SkyActiv-G.”

THE 2.5-LITER Skyactiv DOHC engine delivers 185.42 HP.

CAR-LIKE. Mazda claims that when it introduced the full range of SkyActiv Technology on the CX-5, it overcame SUV shortcomings to achieve the most car-like performing sport utility available. This compliant ride quality is generally carried over from the 2.0L 2013 front wheel drive model to the 2.5L AWD 2014 model although the latter’s ride is firmer and sometimes becomes jittery over uneven pavement, what with 225/55R19 tires as standard equipment. The 2.5L CX-5 not only shares the same engine as the 2014 Mazda6, it has the same platform architecture.

You tend to forget this occasional imperfection when you drive the 2.5L CX-5 AWD on twisty roads  and enjoy its impressive balance and signature refinement.  All the components of SkyActiv Technology consolidate the CX-5’s position as the athlete of the small SUV class, as one of the best-handling of its genre on the road today. I was delighted with the quicker, quieter, smoother performance of the SkyActiv-G 2.5 engine compared to the 2-liter unit and the responsive, perceptive six-speed AT.  The driving experience would have been more engaging, perhaps, if there were gearshift paddles on the steering wheel.

Otherwise, there is little to complain about regarding the cockpit.  It is designed to provide the driver with  all the information and feedback he or she needs via the 5.8-inch touch-screen multi-info display.  The materials are top-quality, instruments and controls are intuitive and attractively designed although not fancy. The sporty three-spoke steering wheel has audio and cruise controls, the driver’s seat is eight-way power adjustable with lumbar support, making driving long distances comfy and easy, climate control is automatic dual zone, and a premium nine-speaker Bose sound system is standard equipment along with CD player, MP3, Aux-in, USB port and Bluetooth voice-control function.

VIEWED from any angle, the CX-5 AWD is a winner.

SPACIOUS. The five-passenger cabin is spacious with handsome, comfy leather seats, generous headroom and legroom for rear seat occupants. Cubbyholes for small items and cupholders are strategically located. The 40-20-40 split-folding rear seat folds completely flat to increase cargo capacity from 490 to 1,560 liters, although the load floor is a bit high. Because of a transmission tunnel, the rear seat is not as wide as that of some competing compact SUVs.  Rearward visibility is limited by the thick C pillars, but this is remedied by the reverse rear view camera.

Advanced active safety features that make the 2.5L CX-5 AWD Sport suitable as a family car as well as a sporty individual SUV are rear vehicle monitoring, lane departure warning and high beam control that automatically reverts to low beam when it detects oncoming vehicles, people or vehicles right in front.  This CX-5 has six airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, dynamic stability control, traction control system, parking sensors front and rear, a tire pressure monitoring system, keyless entry system aside from the usual three-point ELR seatbelts, burglar alarm and immobilizer.

Bottom line, at P1.685 million,  the 2014 2.5L CX-5 AWD Sport offers exhilarating driving dynamics, best-in-class fuel economy, practicality, award-winning safety, a comfy ride, head-turning good looks, a roomy, well-equipped cabin and, above all, the magic of Mazda’s SkyActiv  Technology.