The CX-5, Mazda’s new crossover (two-wheel drive) and SUV (four-wheel drive), is ready to order now with prices from £21,395

New Mazda CX-5 crossover-SUV: Choice, competitive price, ready to order

Tuesday, 14 February 2012 4:13 PM

Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 can be either a crossover or an SUV, depending on how many wheels are driven. But with lowest CO2 of just 119g/km, it's the 2WD that'll interest many

The all-new Mazda CX-5 compact-crossover-SUV range will be offered with a choice-tastic 18-variant line-up when it goes on sale in the UK this spring, with the base model 2.0 SE-L wearing a competitive pricetag of £21,395, and emitting a reasonable – for a petrol engine – 139g/km of CO2.

Mazda’s first new model to display the brand’s eco-focused SKYACTIV technology will be available with your choice of two engines with three power outputs; a 2-litre 165bhp petrol and a 2.2-litre 150bhp or 175bhp diesel. Transmission-wise, it’ll be manual and automatic and two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, while trim-levels kick off at SE-L and climb through SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav. And from there the choice just keeps on coming.

Four petrol models and six diesels will come with the more frugal two-wheel drive transmission, with the snow-shoving four-wheel drive CX-5s using the more torquey diesel engines in eight variant choices.

The cheapest diesel-powered CX-5 is the 2.2-litre 150bhp SE-L; from £22,995 (119g/km CO2), while the more powerful 2.2-litre-powered (175bhp) CX-5s start to nudge the £30k-mark at £27,195 (136g/km CO2), for the four-wheel-driving CX-5 AWD Sport. There’s a choice of eight exterior colours and black cloth or leather interior trim in black or stone; depending on model, price and preference.

Depending on the CX-5 model, fuel efficiency figures of 61.4mpg to 47mpg (combined cycle) and CO2 emissions from between 119g/km to 144g/km certainly sound decent, and with a rating of 119g/km CO2, the Mazda CX-5 150bhp diesel two-wheel drive model is well below the small SUV class average of 147g/km; measured across eleven rivals.

We all like our toys and the (£21,395) CX-5 SE-L comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, dual zone climate control air-conditioning, Smart City Brake Support and privacy glass, plus front and rear parking sensors. The Sport trims enjoys 19-inch alloys, Bi-Xenon headlights with Active Front Lighting System, full leather trim, heated front seats, powered driver’s seat and a reversing camera.

While production for the UK market is likely to be limited for 2012, CX-5-fanciers can still make use of a new pre-ordering facility down at their local Mazda dealership, but there is currently no word from Mazda as to how long the bespoke new car build process will take.

www.mazda.co.uk


By Daniel Anslow

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