Review: Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv-G 160 AWD

A mighty Mazda logo characterizes the equally mighty radiator grille. For a Japanese, the CX-5 is pretty dominant on the road. Kodo has christened Mazda the design language of the current models and with the facelift of the CX-5, the Japanese SUV is once again gaining in chic and prestige. You can't avoid getting in before boarding for the first time "Hui, he looks good ...”To flute. But the test car came to the test with a gasoline engine. In an SUV? The German prefers to use diesel. The focus was quickly on the question: What can the CX-5 do with its “Skyactiv gasoline engine”? And doesn't he swallow a lot of fuel?

Economical handsome?

Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv- G 160 AWD in the test

1.450 kilograms! It is no secret. The lighter a car, the more economical you can be on the road. Or the other way around, every kilogram of weight has an impact on the CO2 balance. The CX-5 is one of the “lightweights” in its class. In conjunction with the light, all-aluminum petrol engine, this lays the foundation for efficiency. Without any diesel. Without any battery technology. And yet with all-wheel drive. Mazda is taking a completely different path than its competitors.

The G-160 petrol engine we drive is just one of many engines. Mazda has brought up a colorful program of it. However, the selection is partly linked to equipment lines and the question of front or all-wheel drive. The two most powerful engines, a 192 hp petrol engine or the 175 hp diesel, are only available with all-wheel drive and only in the “Sports Line” version. And in the basic “Prime-Line” equipment there is neither all-wheel drive nor an automatic transmission and only two engines: Either the 165 HP petrol engine (a little brother to our engine, but with all-wheel drive the engine loses a nominal “5 hp”, for the sake of exhaust emissions), or the 150 PS Diesel. (More on Skyactiv-Diesel is here / click)

Get in and drive

That's what you buy an SUV for. Because you can get on and off so comfortably. And because you sit so wonderfully over things. The CX-5 is no exception. Good space and a spacious, adjustable workplace. The steering wheel and seats can be easily adjusted to the respective driver. The comfort function “Keyless-Go” is part of our test car. In any case, it is practical.

The fairly long wheelbase of 2.70 meters ensures an interior with good space conditions both in front and in row two. With the facelift last year, the choice of materials in the interior has once again lost some of the Japanese pragmatism of the 80 years and, thanks to its many soft surfaces, looks pleasantly valuable.

Long distances in a petrol SUV?

Our test car was allowed to scrub a lot of kilometers this time. And all without a diesel engine. There were some fast stretches of the Autobahn and many hours in daily traffic jams. In this case, the test program of the CX-5 with its gasoline engine was ideally chosen to scrutinize the consumption behavior of this combination.

Skyactiv petrol engine G-160

The specialty of the gasoline engine in the CX-5 is the Skyactiv technology from Mazda. A combination of various measures is hidden behind this technology in the gasoline engine. Extremely high compression (14: 1), direct petrol injection with six-hole nozzles and multiple injection. An engine whose friction has been minimized, whose valve train has been optimized, with efficient oil and water pumps and, last but not least, a very sensitive knock control, a clever thermal management and a “4 in 2 in 1 exhaust manifold” (similar to a manifold in motorsport). The result is a gasoline engine with 160 hp and 208 Nm. However, the weakness of the CX-5 can already be seen in the torque. Torque is used in the classic way and only in a manageable dose.

Start-stop system

Switching off the engine when not in use, for example at traffic lights, is standard today. At Mazda, however, a particularly clever and elegant solution for the automatic start-stop has been found. The engines stop and the rotation of the crankshaft is controlled in such a way that one of the cylinders always occupies an ignitable working mixture. This not only ensures that the engine starts up again very quickly (within 0.35 seconds), but also reduces any stress on peripheral components of the engine, such as the starter or the starter battery.

This Skyactiv engine is surprisingly economical

The CX-5 test car was not spared for us, its average consumption of around 7.8 liters caused frowns. The petrol engine does not take offense even on brisk highway stages. Anyone who stays within the 160 km / h area easily stays under the 10 liter mark. And we're still talking about an SUV with a good forehead area.

You can tell from the torque that the petrol engine does not need charging. If you want to get ahead quickly, keep the four-cylinder engine busy. This drives up the consumption level. If you check yourself a little, you swing between 7 and 8.5 liters in everyday life. Depending on how much freeway part has to be done. It was clear to us beforehand that a petrol SUV would not set any consumption records. Mazda specifies the standard consumption with 6.7 liters. The 7-8 are a fair value in reality.

The SUV replaces the station wagon

Compact SUVs are the new family station wagons. Today dad drives the SUV and leaves the station wagon to the agents. You don't have to worry about luggage with the CX-5 either. With around 500 liters in normal condition and up to 1.620 liters with the rear seats folded down, the CX-5 becomes a spacious station wagon replacement car.

The fact that the CX-5 is also easy to drive and hardly gives in to a side incline also supports the feeling of sitting in a normal station wagon rather than an SUV. With 11.7 meters, the turning circle is not particularly small, but the well-supported power steering alleviates this problem at least to some extent.

It should be clear that you are ordering an SUV with all-wheel drive. What a shame you would otherwise have to do if you got stuck with spinning wheels on the slope in winter like your neighbors “standard station wagon”. The fact that in the case of the CX-5 the all-wheel drive cannot be viewed as a culprit in terms of weight, comfort or average consumption, supports the choice of the AWD-CX-5.

It's just not cheap anymore

The 160 hp petrol engine with 6-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive is available from the Exclusive Line and costs € 31.390. The new i-Activsense assistance system is already part of the basic equipment. This includes, among other things, a parking aid that monitors cross traffic, a hill start assistant, the emergency brake assistant for the city and a blind spot warning. Cruise control and start-stop system are also on board. And also the 17.8 centimeter multimedia display with Bluetooth connection for the smartphone. And full LED headlights with cornering light function shine at the front. Just as unusual in this class: even the fog lights are LED versions. The LED light is also beyond all doubt!

And finally ...

Mazda does a lot differently with the SUV. But nothing is wrong.

The Mazda CX-5 even convinces as a petrol engine. And also on the long haul. A driving SUV with economical drive, clever technology solutions and a good sense of space. Its design saves extravagance and under the sheet metal it shines with new ideas.

SUV and petrol engine? Fits.

Alternative to: Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga
Match with: People who don't like diesel
That convinces: The design and processing.

Test and text: Bjoern Habegger

Photos: Mazda