Frankfurt show: Mazda CX-5 to set economy standard
BY MARTON PETTENDY | 15th Sep 2011
Although Australia’s ADR 81/02 fuel consumption standard is slightly different, Mazda has announced that according to the European test cycle the CX-5 will consume as little as 4.5L/100km and emit less than 120g/km of CO2 in entry-level front-wheel drive diesel manual form.
That’s not only significantly lower than any other compact SUV currently available, but better than most of Australia’s smallest passenger cars and less than 1.0L/100km more than the most fuel-efficient diesel and hybrid models on the market.
Despite promising pint-sized fuel bills, the CX-5 diesel will not be short on performance, with its 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D turbo-diesel producing 129kW and no less than 420Nm of torque from just 2000rpm.
Fuel consumption figures for all-wheel drive models were not revealed, but in Europe the petrol CX-5 produces 121kW/210Nm in 2WD guise and 118kW/208Nm in AWD form, although Australian versions are expected to produce slightly less performance due to the lower compression ratio required for our lower-octane unleaded petrol.
All CX-5 models will be available with both upgraded six-speed manual and redesigned six-speed automatic transmissions, but all models will come with the full suite of SkyActiv technologies, including a lighter-weight chassis architecture and fuel-saving idle-stop function.
Wrapped in Mazda’s new ‘Kodo’ exterior design language, the CX-5 should also be available with a host of new high-end driver aids, including Rear Vehicle Monitoring (RVM), Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), High-Beam Control (HBC) and Lane Departure Warning.
