1 Feb 2015
A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it makeover visually, no sheetmetal alterations have been made to the facelifted CX-5.
The changes are limited to different headlight and taillight lenses, grille and bumper inserts (both brandishing horizontal fins instead of mesh), exterior mirrors, colours and alloys on variants wearing 19-inch wheels.
More palpable improvements have been wrought inside, with the lower half of the dashboard seeing a sizeable console overhaul, a larger (seven inch) central screen featuring the company’s MZD Connect connectivity system and the Human Machine Interface (HMI) concept that includes a controller sited down near the gear shifter.
Longer rear seat cushions, a Mazda-first electronic park brake, better storage solutions and updated trim and materials complete the interior upgrades.
Enhancements have also been made underneath, with revised dampers and redesigned bushes in the front suspension’s lower arms designed to improve the CX-5’s ride quality.
Making the Mazda quieter has been another goal, with a promised 10 per cent sound-intrusion reduction due to more effective noise/vibration/harshness measures borne from ‘path-blocking and concentrated sound absorption’. Thicker side glass is also fitted. Consequently, the overall kerb weight ratings rise, by about 10 to 15kg.
To help offset this, lighter yet stronger body-in-white properties have been achieved through the use of increased high-tensile steel and new production processes.
Minor efficiency gains also come with a switch to lower-viscosity synthetic oil for the all-wheel drive system, while the six-speed automatic transmission adopts the ‘Sport’ drive selection switch for a more responsive performance feel in petrol-powered models. The base Maxx remains the sole recipient of a (six-speed) manual gearbox.
The Akera comes with Mazda-first adaptive LED headlights, a lane-keep assist system employing torque-assisted steering inputs and wheel vibration alerts, a driver fatigue monitor, adaptive cruise control, Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) with rearward as well as forward detection capabilities, and Smart Brake Support for mid- to high-speed frontal collision mitigation.
