The first generation of the Mazda CX-5 was unveiled in 2012, and was the Japanese marquee’s attempt at clawing back some lost ground in the compact crossover segment. This is a segment where every major carmaker is involved in and for obvious reasons; it’s what consumers want and therefore, a cash cow. Mazda, obviously, didn’t want to be left behind, and the CX-5 was their ticket in. The Mazda CX-5 is underpinned by a reworked platform that’s also found in the 3. The CX-5 is, in fact, the first-ever car from Mazda’s stable to use the automaker’s famed Kodo design language.
Today, the 2019 Mazda CX-5 represents the second generation in the life of this popular compact crossover. The new model is larger, better equipped, safer, and looks much better than the one before it. However, in a market environment where crossover utility vehicles or CUVs are flying off the shelves, the new CX-5 isn’t without rivals. The most competent among these include the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape.
Exterior
The 2019 Mazda CX-5 is a smart and youthful looking crossover, with its Kodo design language giving it a more expressive and dynamic stance. The ‘pouting’ front of the new CX-5 features a wide, gaping grille with a thick chrome embellishment at the bottom, a chiseled bumper, and stylish LED headlamps with funky-looking daytime-runners.
The side profile is mostly civilized and not too outlandish, though there are cool touches; such as the bold-looking alloy wheels, flared fenders, and black plastic cladding along the lower body and wheel arches. The relatively blunt rear end of the CX-5 gets attractive LED taillamps, a subtle rooftop spoiler, and chrome-tipped twin exhaust pipes. The 2019 Mazda CX-5 is 4.550 meters long, 1.840 meters wide, 1.675 meters tall, and gets a 2.700-meter wheelbase. Its boot capacity is an impressive 506 liters, courtesy of just five seats.
Interior
The interior of the 2019 Mazda CX-5 has some interesting touches such as the stitched leatherette along the dashboard and center console, and soft-touch materials on most of the frequented spots. The meaty, sporty-looking steering wheel looks nice as well, and so does the center climate vents. Along with these, Mazda has also used some metallic-looking trim to break up the black interior.
The CX-5’s cabin is well put together and the general fit and finish is pretty good, and so is the build quality. The seats, too, are well padded and supportive, though rear legroom might be an issue for really tall passengers. On the features front, the 2019 CX-5 comes with adaptive cruise control, adaptive/auto LED headlamps, electric sunroof, leather upholstery, powered front seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, head-up display, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, and a 7-inch infotainment unit with navigation. Also on offer are 6 airbags, along with plenty of electronic safety measures such as traction and stability program, hill assist, collision detection, blind-spot monitoring and many more.
Engine and performance
Powering the 2019 Mazda CX-5 is a SKYACTIV 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection. This means a peak output of 188 hp and 251 nm of torque. A 6-speed torque converter sends power to either the front wheels or all four corners in case with the AWD variants. The CX-5 (AWD) can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, onwards to a top speed of 200 km/h, and still manage 7.0 L/100 km.
Verdict
The 2019 Mazda CX-5 range starts at 91,500 dirhams for the base FWD variant and costs 129,900 dirhams for the top AWD trim. Meanwhile, insurance costs can set you back between 2,059 to 2,923 dirhams.
