Mazda Brings 3 Concept Versions of CX-5 Crossover to SEMA Including a Diesel Variant

With the 2012 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in full swing, Mazda lifted the wraps off three new concept versions of its CX-5 compact crossover to demonstrate the personalization choices owners have, and in one case, to highlight the diesel option that may soon be available in North America.
We will start with the latter that is named after actor and Mazda racecar driver Patrick Dempsey and which uses the Japanese brand's European-specification SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter clean diesel engine to power the all-wheel-drive system through a six-speed manual gearbox.
Read more »

New Mazda6 and CX-5 Custom Concepts to Take Center Stage at Tokyo Auto Salon

The rapidly approaching 2013 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon will see Mazda exhibit an array of customized versions of its newly launched Mazda6 (called Atenza in Japan) in both saloon and Wagon body styles as well as of the CX-5 crossover.

We'll begin our tour of Mazda's concepts with the new "6" that will be shown in three flavors in Tokyo.

Read more »

2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists: Which Ones Do You Think Will Win?

Last year, Ford, with its Focus, was the sole U.S. manufacturer included in the final list for the North American Car and Truck of the Year award and it finished in third place, behind the VW Passat and the winner, Hyundai’s Elantra.

Even more surprising was the truck class where the Range Rover Evoque beat the Honda CR-V and the BMW X3. Where is this world coming to if U.S. manufacturers can’t build an SUV or truck to make an impression in their own market?

Read more »

Mazda CX-5 Beats Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ, Wins Japan Car of the Year Award

With less than a month remaining until the end of the year, all kinds of “Car of the Year” awards will inadvertently start to pop up. Some, of course, are much more important than others are; and the Japan COTY title belongs to the former category. In 2011, the winner was the Nissan Leaf, which had also been awarded the World and European COTY titles.

This year, Mazda won the crown with its CX-5 compact crossover getting 363 votes, 45 more than the second-placed Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ “twins”. BMW’s 3-Series was third, while it’s interesting to note that the top 10 was evenly split between Japanese and European models.

Read more »

New Mazda6, 2014 CX-5, Facelifted 2013 CX-9 and Global Motorsports Premiere Coming to LA

Mazda is the next carmaker to confirm its North American and global debuts for the LA Auto Show that runs for the public from November 30 to December 9, 2012.

While not a world premiere, the star of the Japanese brand's booth will no doubt be the all-new Mazda6 mid-size sedan, which in the U.S., will launch in January 2013 with a new SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine and a number of fresh technologies.

Read more »

Mazda to Increase CX-5 Production Again by 20 Percent, Double SkyActive Engine Volume

The new CX-5 is proving to be a bright spot for Mazda, which has announced plans to increase production capacity of the compact crossover by 20 percent, from 200,000 to 240,000 units per year. This will be achieved by expanding production from Mazda's Ujina Plant No.2 in Japan to also include Ujina Plant No.1. Read more »

New BMW 3-Series, Hyundai i30, Mazda CX-5 and Peugeot 208 Shine in Euro NCAP Crash Tests

The new BMW 3-Series sedan, Hyundai i30 compact hatchback, Mazda CX-5 crossover and Peugeot 208 supermini are the latest cars to be evaluated by Euro NCAP, the organization charged with crash-testing Europe's vehicles.

All four models achieved a maximum five-star rating with Euro NCAP officials pointing out that carmakers have made significant improvements in the area of pedestrian protection.

Read more »

Mazda CX-5 Orders in Japan Surpass Mazda’s Original Estimates by 8 Times in the First Month

Mazda revealed today that it has received close to 8,000 orders for its brand new CX-5 crossover in Japan since February 16.

Now, either the Hiroshima-based carmaker was extermely conservative in its projection or the locals have really taken to the new crossover because that figure is eight times the original monthly estimate of 1,000 sales.

Read more »

Mazda CX-7 to Say Goodbye to U.S. Market this Year

The launch of the all-new 2013 CX-5 into the U.S. market signals the death of another Mazda crossover, the CX-7.

The Japanese automaker officially confirmed the news at a recent press event adding that CX-7 sales in the States were averaging about 2,600 units per month through February and that 6,100 units were available at the end of last month, with no more deliveries scheduled. This means that Mazda has less than three months of stock left.

One of the main reasons why Mazda is pulling the plug on the CX-7 is because it didn't want to confuse buyers with similarly-sized crossovers in its showrooms.

Read more »

Mazda Releases UK Pricing and Specifications on New CX-5

Following its launch in several markets around the world, the new Mazda CX-5 is now available for pre-order in Britain with first deliveries to take place this spring.

The compact crossover model, which is Mazda's first production model embody its SKYACTIV technology, will be offered with a choice of three engines including a 2.0-liter petrol producing 165PS (163bhp), and a 2.2-liter turbo diesel with either 150PS (148bhp) or 175PS (173bhp).

Read more »

Mazda CX-5 gets New Smart City Brake Support Safety System

There was a time when ABS and a couple of airbags was all a car needed to be considered safe. Today, however, things have changed radically: not only have Euro NCAP and NHTSA crash tests forced manufacturers to create much safer vehicles, but they’ve also resulted in the addition of not just passive, but active safety systems as well.

Mazda for example, had developed a new system that helps distracted drivers avoid frontal collisions at slow speeds. It's called called the Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) and it will be available in the new CX-5 compact crossover.

Read more »

New 2013 Mazda CX-5 Crossover Priced from $20,695* in the States

Mazda has released the full rundown on the pricing and equipment specifications of its all-new 2013 CX-5 crossover, which launches in the States exclusively with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine rated at 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque and either FWD or AWD.

Customers can choose from three different trim grades called Sport, Touring and Grand Touring, with the entry-level FWD Sport model offered with a six-speed manual gearbox and the rest of the range with an automatic transmission. According to Mazda, the CX-5 returns 35mpg on the highway and 29mpg combined.

Prices for the crossover start from US$20,865 for the base Sport, which rises to US$21,660 if you include a $795 (*) destination and handling fee (Alaska $840.00).

Read more »

Mazda Begins Production of Diesel-Engined CX-5 Crossover in Japan

Mazda announced today that it has commenced production of the diesel version of its new CX-5 crossver at its Ujina plant near the company’s Hiroshima headquarters. The new compact SUV will be available in Japan and Europe in spring, with other markets to follow including the U.S. from early 2013.

The CX-5 is the first model in Mazda’s range to be powered by the new Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel engine.

Read more »