Mazda Cx-5

Mazda pulls out the stops for the all-new third-generation version of its big-selling CX-5 Nobody would pretend that every car holds appeal for the typical Autocar reader, but it’s also true that there exists a place in every class where that appeal can be found.In the world of crossovers, the Mazda CX-5 has long represented one of those places – ever since the happy-faced Mk1 was launched in 2012 on a clean-sheet platform. A balanced chassis that seemed to genuinely enjoy changing direction, along with honest but capable engines and, if you wanted it, a snickety manual gearbox, stood Mazda’s crossover out against perfectly competent but dynamically steadier big-volume foes from Kia and Volkswagen.A second generation and nearly five million sales later, we now have the Mk3: a larger, steelier-looking CX-5 than ever there was. But also, as we will now discover, a simpler proposition from a buying perspective, and perhaps also a considerably more premium one.The new model isn’t without risk for its maker, mind – not when you consider that the CX-5 typically represents between a quarter and a third of Mazda’s total production. Offering just one engine stands in contrast to the approaches of rivals from Nissan, Citroën, Vauxhall, Kia and Hyundai, all of which give you the option of hybrid power. And there is also the small matter of the new, digital-heavy cockpit.