Mazda CX-5 Turbo 2019 Review

With the Mazda CX-5 at the top of its form, the only way to improve the model further without spending a fortune on engineering was with the adoption of the same turbocharged petrol engine introduced in the larger CX-9 and also now available in the Mazda6 passenger car.

Mazda Australia launched the turbocharged variants to the CX-5 range just before Christmas of 2018. But rather than conduct a conventional drive program for the new variants, Mazda handed the keys to the turbocharged cars over to selected local media for an extended test over the Christmas/New Year period.

In the case of the Mazda CX-5 Akera (Turbo) flagship handed over to carsales.com.au, the test was to be some short, urban trips, but mostly some open-road touring along Victoria's west coast. The Mazda carried the whole family to a destination just outside Geelong for Christmas, and then travelled another two or more hours beyond that to the former whaling hub of Warrnambool.

Tapping turbo torque

The CX-5 is a known quantity, not only for the motoring writer in the family, but also other members of the family. Every CX-5 tested for carsales.com.au has impressed with its overall driveability, ease of use and comfort.

The Mazda CX-5 Akera with the turbocharged engine is no different in that regard. If anything the exploitable torque produced by the forced-induction powerplant makes the latest CX-5 even easier to punt from point A to B. It's not the sort of engine to throw you back in the seat, but it will build a head of steam soon enough for most medium SUV buyers. In fact, only Holden's 2.0-litre Equinox and the now superseded Subaru Forester XT could better the CX-5 Akera for power – and the Mazda still holds a trump hand for torque.

Over 1000km of mostly open road – punctuated by a few short trips and cold starts – the CX-5 Akera averaged 8.6L/100km. While fuel consumption like that doesn't sound flash, most of the time the vehicle was transporting four adults and a full cargo compartment. The turbo engine wasn’t overtaxed by that payload either, and on the couple of occasions it was called upon to overtake it delivered smooth, dependable performance each time, without needing to select the powertrain's sport mode.

Fuel consumption on a 70km test loop was significantly worse however, at 12.1L/100km. That, unfortunately, is the price to be paid for unleashing all that turbocharged fun.

The new engine delivers a sporty gruffness when operating under load, but is very quiet when cruising. It’s responsive and produces abundant torque – perhaps that's the reason for the conservative maximum engine speed. Mazda has tuned its six-speed automatic transmission to change up at around 5500rpm, which is well shy of the redline on the tacho dial, a redline hinting at more performance right up to 6500rpm.

Even in manual mode the transmission will automatically shift up to the next gear if you shoot for higher revs. Other than that, the automatic was right for the CX-5. It changes gear smoothly and adapts to different driving styles, also shifting down automatically on hills for additional braking.

Taking turns or touring

Dynamically, the Mazda CX-5 is among the top tier of entrants in the medium SUV segment. Overall, the CX-5’s road-holding is in the same ballpark as Honda’s CR-V, the Ford Escape and the Subaru Forester.

The Mazda’s Toyo tyres become quite noisy once they’re under pressure to change direction or slow the CX-5, but the Mazda otherwise encourages the driver to try a bit harder. It never feels like it will bite back unexpectedly if the driver pushes on.

The steering of the CX-5 is precise but light and lacking some feedback at times. New owners will adapt to it quickly, but it was interesting to observe one member of the family – an inexperienced driver – grappling with the wheel and attacking each bend with multiple bites until she was familiar with the electrically-adjusted system.

While the suspension is softly sprung, with damping that’s on the money for ride comfort, the 19-inch tyres don’t soak up smaller, sharper bumps taken at speed. In fact, it’s no different in that regard than the previous model with its naturally-aspirated engine.

This translates to some jiggling at cruising speed, which is at odds with the CX-5's underlying ride quality. If there's a reason to opt for a lower-priced variant in the Mazda CX-5 range, ride comfort would be that reason.

Leave the brakes applied a little too long into a corner and the CX-5 wants to move into an oversteering stance, but there’s little roll and the Mazda feels generally secure. Apply a heavy dose of throttle on the exit and the CX-5 will exhibit torque steer and axle tramp, especially in tighter turns, and despite the Mazda’s all-wheel drive system. Such is the potent performance of the turbocharged engine (and the slow response of the on-demand all-paw system).

In daily service

The Mazda's brakes are easily modulated for soft stopping, with plenty of feel through the pedal. Push the pedal a little harder at the lights and the idle-stop will kill the engine. Ease off the pedal and the engine will restart. It gives the driver much finer (manual) control of the fuel-saving system, which stalls and restarts the engine with very little fuss, just a light bump.

The Mazda’s active cruise control is very easy to use, even for our inexperienced driver. In next to no time she was using the switchgear on the wheel to reduce or increase the speed in accordance with different speed-limit zones, or allowing the automated system to leave enough braking distance to the car in front... all the way to a complete halt.

On our extended drive the Driver Attention Alert system did activate when there was valid reason to believe the driver was distracted, and the CX-5's High-Beam Control worked well too, although the lane-keep assistant struggled with country-road line markings, which is also true of practically every other car in the market.

The front seats are firm in the cushion, but well-shaped and supportive. Even after three hours of driving without a break I didn't feel fatigued or out of sorts. The seats were also fitted with heating and ventilation, the latter proving very handy during an Aussie summer.

Android Auto and CarPlay apps are now standard for the Mazda CX-5 Akera, which also comes with integrated satellite navigation and two USB ports in the centre console storage receptacle to play music from a memory stick, or else Bluetooth can stream the music from a smartphone. So at least a couple of features buyers typically want from those connectivity apps are also available in the CX-5 Akera without the need for those apps... or a smartphone.

In another example of the CX-5 Akera’s inherent user friendliness, the vehicle locks itself automatically as soon as the driver walks off a couple of metres from the car with key in hand. It might seem like a sop to the paranoid, but it’s nice to know you don’t have to double-check that you have actually locked the car. The only shortcoming with this system arises in the event a passenger climbs out of the car and closes the door later than the driver's door.

In short though, the CX-5’s ergonomics are very sensible and ideal for drivers who want their cars doing a lot of the thinking for them.

Packaging wins and losses

One of the attractions of medium SUVs is the hip point, which is fine for adults and not excessively high for little kids in the case of the CX-5 Akera. There is plenty of headroom and legroom in the rear of the Mazda as well, even for our gangly young bloke, who is now over 180cm tall.

Seat heaters in the rear of the CX-5 Akera weren't much use at the height of an Aussie summer, but they'll be appreciated come winter. In the meantime, rear-seat occupants will be content with the adjustable vents and two USB ports in the folding centre armrest (which features cup-holders when lowered).

At 442 litres, the boot was more than adequate for a five-day break. The luggage included an Esky full of food and drink, camera gear, backpacks and bags for four. There was no need to pile the load above the window line. The capacity is about 80 litres less than the boot space of a Toyota Camry – the best-selling mid-size passenger car in Australia – and also falls well short of a comparable SUV, the Nissan X-TRAIL, which is rated at 565 litres.

The CX-5 wins back lost ground with lever pulls in the boot to fold the rear seats forward for the extra cargo space. And the powered tailgate rises high enough for adults of average height to walk underneath safely. It also lifts in a tight arc, reducing the likelihood of contact with a wall or closely parked car behind the Mazda.

A Dunlop space-saver spare sits under the boot floor of the Mazda CX-5 Akera. If you're travelling somewhere with a fully-loaded boot, changing the tyre may take a while – and it could be downright inconvenient in the rain. Still, many prospective buyers would rather have any sort of spare tyre than a tyre repair kit. Whether the CX-5 fills a need in that respect will vary from one owner to the next, according to circumstance.

That is also true of the flagship model's extra kit and the turbocharged engine. Few buyers are in the market for a flagship model of medium SUV, but the CX-5 Akera makes a pretty compelling case for those few.

How much does the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Akera (Turbo) cost?
Price: $46,670 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 170kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: TBA
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2017)