SINGAPORE - This is the midlife update of the second-generation Mazda CX-5. The medium-sized, five-seater SUV with a 2.0-litre petrol engine is still only in its second generation. The original CX-5 first appeared on sale in 2012, and that lasted five years until the next-gen model appeared in 2017. Now five years later the car has been given its customary...
CarBuyer
To keep the models relevant it’s customary for almost every carmaker to roll out a new version of a car around the midpoint of its lifecycle. It comes in three trim levels, starting with the basic Elegance trim, then the mid-range Luxury trim and then the top-spec, arguably ungrammatical, Luxury Sports trim.
A 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine powers the car through a six-speed automatic transmission. Despite its high riding stance, which itself is a nice look in these days of SUVs going lower and lower, the CX-5 is just front wheel driven and so is not capable of any serious off road driving. The result is supposed to be a punchier midrange without the use of forced induction, while still returning pretty good fuel economy. A very reasonable 7.4L/100km is what we got after four days of driving and while the car’s chassis balance is sound and dynamic, the vocal engine buzz, typical of most Mazdas when driven hard, is a bit of an annoyance.