RICHMOND HILL – The Mazda CX-5 compact crossover SUV continues to win the hearts of critics and customers, and receives new standard features for 2018 after just nine months of being on sale.
For the 2018 model year, Mazda CX-5 is getting even better, employing cylinder-deactivation technology, safety, and refinement updates at all trim levels and carries features rarely seen in vehicles competing in the next class up such as an available head-up display and standard LED headlights and tail lights.
Mazda CX-5’s SKYACTIV-G 2.0 and 2.5 engines have both received updates to reduce internal friction, which increases low-end torque, while also reducing real-world fuel consumption and particulate matter formation during combustion. These changes are implemented to reduce the amount customers will spend on fuel, but no feature stands out more than Mazda’s segment-exclusive cylinder-deactivation technology in the SKYACTIV-G 2.5L engine. The engine introduces the ability to imperceptible shut down the two outside cylinders at cruising speeds to maximize efficiency. Running on two cylinders reduces pumping loss and mechanical resistance. This is designed to assist in improving real-world efficiency rather than simply in catalogued evaluations and comes standard on CX-5 GS and GT models.
Cylinder deactivation is more effective at low speeds, improving fuel economy by approximately 20% when driving at a constant 40km/h, and by approximately 5% at a constant 80km/h. Mazda is the only automaker to equip a four-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivation in North America.
Additional newly standard equipment includes automatic on/off headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and illuminated power windows with driver’s one-touch up/down feature. On the safety front, Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring (ABSM), and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) now comes standard across all models. All features were previously available on mid-level CX-5 GS models and above.
The entry-level CX-5 GX features cloth upholstery, standard LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, an electronic parking brake, MAZDA CONNECT infotainment with a 7-inch screen and Bluetooth audio streaming and phone pairing as standard, among a much longer list of features. The updated SKYACTIV-G 2.0L engine is standard, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The available 6-speed automatic transmission is paired with an updated version of the SKYACTIV-G 2.5L engine that delivers 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. In its newly available GX i-ACTIVSENSE Package, CX-5 adds Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) with Stop & Go function, Smart Brake Support (SBS), pedestrian detection, Distance Recognition Support System (DRSS), Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Lane-keep Assist System (LAS), High Beam Control (HBC), and colour multi-information display (MID).
All CX-5 models sold in Canada are available with Mazda’s predictive i-ACTIV all-wheel drive, which feeds information from 27 sensors found in CX-5 to predict road conditions and send power wherever it’s needed without the unnerving drivetrain reactions or slipping that can be felt in some competitors during inclement conditions.
CX-5 has earned the IIHS “Top Safety Pick+” designation for the fifth-consecutive year in 2017, joining all Mazda models tested to earn the nonprofit’s highest award when equipped with proper headlights and specific technologies. – CNW