The fourth generation 2016 Mazda CX-5 came into the highly competitive crossover segment early this year. Despite minor but meaningful improvements and additions, the vehicle managed to hold its own against the likes of the refreshed Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4, the Ford Escape, the Nissan Rogue, and the Subaru Forester.
That’s in addition to other market players as practically every carmaker has an entry in the CUV segment notwithstanding the fact that many people have shown their preference to it compared to the larger but gas-guzzling SUVs.
The Japanese carmaker is so proud of the achievement and the headway gained into the market by its 2016 Mazda CX-5 that it has actually called the vehicle as an overachiever of its class and it can be gleaned on the Mazda USA website.
It describes the CUV as supremely capable, brilliantly engineered and now even more meticulously refined. Mazda also takes pride of the fact that the 2016 CX-5 was named a 2015 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) when equipped with the available smart city brake support.
Expressive and impressive design
With its expressive design featuring big wheel arches and rising window line, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 has struck a good balance between its sports sedans and the real world dimensions of a crossover utility vehicle, notes The Car Connection.
The high gas mileage and high style of the 2016 Mazda CX-5 just add to the value with great new exterior features including LED lightings at the front and rear end and a more conservative roofline compared to the CX-3. It also features great front leather seats in the interior cabin that looks very business-like, with restrained silver trim and sporty red pipings.
Mazda CX-5 is also described as dynamic, fun, and agile because the small SUV has clung to its status as the athlete in its class.
When it was launched some three years ago, the Mazda CX-5 is actually the first Mazda car to feature the new KODO – Soul of Motion design language which the company first showcased in the Shinari concept car in May 2011.
The Mazda CX-5 shares the production platform of the Mazda3 and the Mazda6 and thus has the same features and Skyactiv Technology suite that the two sedans boast.
The compact SUV is rigid, lightweight and features efficient engines and transmissions which equate to reduced emission and greater fuel efficiency.
There have been notable changes in the 2016 Mazda CX-5 from its predecessors including updated and more flashy exterior styling, reductions in road noise, improved infotainment system, and the inclusion of a sports mode for the six-speed automatic transmission.
When matched against the latest compact SUVs in the market today, the Mazda CX-5 certainly held its own, thus dropping any further notion that the vehicle was a one-hit wonder when it was first launched in 2012.
The BMW of mid-range carmakers
Much of the modifications on the 2016 Mazda CX-5 are made on its interiors, making its cabin comparable to those of very expensive crossovers and SUVs from luxury carmakers. Mazda, after all, is regarded in the motoring industry, as the BMW among mid-range car manufacturers of the world.
Featuring an expressive design highlighted by big wheel arches and rising window line, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 has struck a good balance between its sports sedans and the real world dimensions of a crossover utility vehicle.
It also features bolstered front seats that cannot be found in any other vehicle in its class. There is also enough seating space in the back and Mazda has added cushion length to the back seats for the better comfort of passengers.