Mazda CX-5

The new generation Mazdas are known for their minimalist yet classy interior layouts, and the Mazda CX-5 follows the suit with the same intention. The cabin is a good mix of leather and soft-touch plastics – while the 2.0-litre version gets black leather upholstery, the two variants of the 2.5-litre version gets white leather and brown Nappa leather upholstery in respective variants.

The three-spoke multifunctional steering wheel and the three pod full analog instrument console behind it is something which has become a common-looking cockpit for all the Mazdas. Where the Mazda CX-5 tries to create its own identity from its stablemates is the rest of the dashboard design. The pentagonal AC vents, housed in a central layer finished in faux wood, look unique with silver surrounds, while at the centre, there is a free-standing trapezoidal touchscreen infotainment system, in the upper layer of the dashboard which gets nice soft-touch finish.

Kitted with some really nice and premium features onboard like powered and ventilated front seats, powered tailgate, keyless entry with push-button start, auto cruise control, premium BOSE music system, and dual-zone automatic climate control, the Mazda CX-5 feels like how a proper premium car should be on the inside.

Mazda, in recent times, has come up with some really beautiful and timeless looking designs, and the Mazda CX-5 SUV is no exception to that. The midsize crossover looks quite nice and curvaceous, which appeals to the eye, but then, this very curvaceous design robs off the SUV-ish stance from it a bit.

Like in the rest of the offerings from Mazda, the CX-5 too has got a sleek looking front end, and shares the rounded front grille with sharp chrome edges, and gets slim wing-like LED headlamps on its upper edges.

The rounded profile of the Mazda CX-5 is well evident especially from the sides, with the rounded wheel arches and roofline accentuating its crossover design. The side profile gets a smooth curve flowing from the front headlamp and smoothly vanishes while coming towards the rear door. The door-mounted rearview mirrors and chrome garnish on the window frame adds to the premium and sporty appeal of the SUV.

While other Mazdas are known for their cleaner rear designs, the Mazda CX-5 has a busy design comprising of trapezoidal LED tail lamps which are rounded on the edges, the same kind of design executed for the rear license plate housing and the curved windshield.

The Mazda CX-5 is known for its agile driving mannerisms, which is the courtesy of sportier suspension setup for the Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear. The SUV is not too strong when it comes to off-road characteristics, but on the urban tarmac, it impresses with superb grip and nicely weighted steering.

The Mazda CX-5 comes with a choice between two four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine options. While the smaller 2.0-litre unit makes 165 PS of power and 213 Nm of torque, the larger 2.5-litre engine develops 194 PS of power and 258 Nm of torque. A 6-speed torque converter is being offered as the standard gearbox option for both engines.

The Mazda CX-5 gets many high-end safety features like adaptive front lighting system, front, side, and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, 360-degree view monitor, front and rear parking sensors, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, smart city brake system, driver attention alert, pedestrian brake, and electric parking brake.

The Mazda CX-5, with its design and driving characteristics being on the sportier side, makes up for a great urban tool and for all those people who love to enjoy the power and excellent chassis setup on their hands.