New CX-5 to be economy yardstick

MAZDA has confirmed its all-new CX-5 will set a fresh fuel economy benchmark of just 5.7L/100km when it joins Australia’s booming compact SUV segment late next month.

The figure, which matches that of many small and even light-size passenger cars, applies to the 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D turbo-diesel version of the new CX-5, which will be available here as standard with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda’s first diesel-powered compact SUV – and its first automatic diesel vehicle of any type – will not skimp on performance to achieve its outstanding economy figure, however, with a class-leading 420Nm of torque and 129kW of power on offer.

As we reported when the CX-7-replacing CX-5 made its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show last September, entry-level front-wheel-drive manual versions will consume as little as 4.5L/100km and emit less than 120g/km of CO2 on the European test cycle.

Mazda Australia is yet to reveal a consumption figure for its entry-level front-drive 2.0-litre petrol model, which returns 6.0L/100km as a manual in Europe.

The CX-5 will be the first model to combine all of Mazda’s next-generation SkyActiv engine, transmission, body and chassis technologies with the company’s new Kodo design theme.

Fitted as standard with a fuel-saving idle-stop function, CX-5 models should also be available with a host of new high-end driver aids, including Rear Vehicle Monitoring, Smart City Brake Support, High-Beam Control and Lane Departure Warning.

“We’ve been keen to add a diesel engine with an automatic transmission to our range for quite some time,” said Mazda Australia national marketing manager Alastair Doak.

“The development of the CX-5 and our new SkyActiv Technology has given us this opportunity and, quite frankly, we can’t wait to get it here.

“There’s certainly demand for a diesel-automatic combination, particularly in the SUV segment, and with the right powertrain combinations plus all-new technology and design we’re confident that CX-5 has the goods to become one of Australia’s most popular SUVs.” In addition to the CX-5 Australia’s fast-growing compact SUV segment will this year see the arrival of Subaru’s all-new XV this month, Ford’s all-new Kuga in March, Honda’s redesigned CR-V in the second half, Mitsubishi’s all-new Outlander in late 2012 and facelifted versions of Toyota’s RAV4 and Mitsubishi’s ASX later this year.

The sector, in which Jeep kicked off a busy year with the launch of its facelifted Compass last week, will be further bolstered by non-mainstream models including the Citroen C4 Aircross, Peugeot 4008 and Yeti 118TSI, plus upgraded and automatic versions of Great Wall’s X200 diesel.