Looks

The 2015 Mazda CX-5 inherits its fluent, flowing lines and bold curves from Mazda’s signature KODO ‘Soul of Motion’ design philosophy. While a standard Mazda fascia with a five-point grille and oval headlamps embellish the front of the vehicle, squinted tail lamps and a spoiler add a little flare to the rear. Coupled with its exclusivity, the Japanese compact SUV is sure to turn a lot more heads than its French and American counterparts as it cruises along the highway.

Feels

With a beam of piano black trim running along the centre of the dashboard, and brushed silver trim garnishing the door panels, the cabin gives off an unmistakable Mazda vibe. While the driver and front seat passenger are guaranteed kicks from the infotainment screen that sits neatly atop the dashboard, rear seat passengers are gifted an abundance of space with leg and headroom to spare. In terms of practicality, 965 litres of cargo space can be found behind the second row of seats, however, if a trip to Ikea is underway, stowing away the second row of seats unveils a mighty, furniture gobbling capacity of 1,840 litres!

Engineering

The SKYACTIVE-Body and SKYACTIVE-Chassis were developed at the same time, to work in absolute harmony and achieve two seemingly contradictory goals at once: To be nimble at low speeds, yet stable at high speeds. Engineered intelligently, the boffins at Mazda have tried their best to make the compact SUV, light, direct and agile, all at the same time.

On offer

Churning out 155 horsepower and 195 Nm of torque, the 2.0 litre engine comes mated to a six speed automatic transmission and touches the 100 km/h mark in a not-so-impressive 9.3 seconds. On the other hand, the larger 2.5 litre engine pumps out a more respectable 185 horsepower and provides more excitement by completing a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in just 7.5 seconds when matched to an All-Wheel-Drive layout.

Verdict

While the Hyundai Tucson commands a starting price of AED 69,900, the 2015 Mazda CX-5 comes in for a significantly higher AED 88,000. For all those whose jaw just fell to the floor, you’ll will also be surprised to know that while top-of-the-line Hyundai Tucson sucks AED 97,900 out of your bank account, the prettier Mazda tops out at AED 120,000!

Specifications