The Mazda CX-5 Thread

Combustion engine not on its deathbed, says Mazda

A senior Mazda official in North America has taken issue with the way the automotive industry is seemingly being pushed towards electric vehicle technology, insisting that the internal combustion engine is not yet on its deathbed.

According to Automotive News, Robert Davis, senior vice-president in charge of special assignments for North America, said that the “impending death of the internal combustion engine is overrated”.

Davis insisted that governments trying to force automakers to adopt EV technology was not the best approach.

“Let the industry find the best way to meet the clean air standard. Make it CO2, make it grams per mile, fuel economy — whatever feels best. But don’t mandate the particular powertrain,” he said.

Mazda, of course, had so far largely eschewed EV technology, instead focusing on making its Skyactiv-branded internal combustion engines more efficient.

“This is where the great thinkers of our industry need to speak up and be heard and make sure the manufacturers can do what they do best: compete against each other for the customers’ hearts and minds,” Davis said.

He went on to raise concerns about the difficulty in recycling lithium-ion batteries used in EVs.

“We need to consider that this is not zero emissions. This is remote emissions, or displaced emissions. We need to work on the best solution for the customers and for the environment in a common target, not an instruction manual on how to get there.

“The internal combustion engine has a strong future role in transportation. We certainly considered the adoption of new technologies, batteries, EVs, plug-in hybrids and everything else.

“But they all share the internal combustion engine. So before we go into the time and effort and expense of adding electrification, we were convinced that a solid, efficient internal combustion engine was critical,” Davis concluded.

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/combustion-engine-not-on-its-deathbed-says-mazda/
 
2017 / 2018 Mazda CX-5 Review and Road Test - Alex on Autos

[video=youtube;dkwC5pDAUnA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkwC5pDAUnA[/video]
 
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I saw one of these new ones at the airport this week. Mazda seems to really be making striking cars these days. A real head turner, but that grille looks dangerously sharp :D
 
Battle of the MPVs: 3 family cars that make moms rock

Safety features, high ground clearance, a huge boot and loads of elbow space... these are some of the most important boxes I like to have ticked when it comes to a family car. You'll definitely want to have at least a couple of these features when it hauling your family (and their kit around).

Looks are pretty important too, so is fuel consumption and enough vooma to get you where you need to be.

The last thing you'd want with a car full of screaming children is to be going nowhere slowly, so sufficient power are great for moms and dads.

Whether its performing a school run or going on holiday with your family, Wheels24's Janine Van der Post looks at 3 MPV's that make for good 'moms taxis'.


Peugoet 2008 - from R284 900

Peugeot's next-gen 2008, launched earlier in 2017, is a beautiful car and the French automaker always shows its pride in its products with premium materials and high levels of equipment. The 2008 had great finishes with double stitching, soft-touch plastics and comfortable leather seats. Not to mention it smells as fresh as Spring flowers... always a boon when you're hauling your children and their friends ripe from a sport match.

It glides like dream on any surface, is extremely roomy and pretty economical too. It comes packed with safety features, Isofix fittings and genuinely feels solid on the road.

Peugeot is still pretty much underrated in South Africa while their products keep getting better. Definitely worth an option to keep in mind from the more popular go-to choices.

The new 2008 comes with black and chromed headlights, 3D LED rear lights in a distinctive three-claw design which helps the car's visual presence on the road from all angles.

There's also the new vertical front grille and Peugeot's new 'horizontal bonnet'. It's large spoiler, assertive wheel arches, scuff plates and roof bars give the car a rugged look, but in a very snazzy way.

Inside, there's an innovative interior lighting system with LED instrument dial surround, LED track – laser cut headlining or a panoramic glass roof with light guides. This model also comes in a beautiful new shade of red.


Mahindra TUV300 - R229 995

What? A cheap Indian car makes the list? Yes it does. I still can't believe just how much I enjoyed this car, and the fact that it left a lasting impression says a lot too.

The Indian automaker has definitely taken its customers concerns to heart and has improved by leaps and bounds in terms of design, functionality and created a better product for it. Mahindra has some work to do with regards to quality but they have come a long way and it shows in cars such as its TUV300.

The Mahindra TUV300 is spacious not only in front but provides ample legroom for the rear passengers too. The middle-seat occupant has no reason to fight for elbow or knee room. I love that the extra two seats in the rear can be folded up along the side providing extra space for luggage or shopping bags.

Even if the two rear seats are in use, there's still ample space to load a few things without making it uncomfortable for the occupants.

Next is the fact that it's so frugal; Mahindra claims an average fuel consumption of 5.4-litres/100km from the 1.5-litre engine. I'd like to say they were thumb-sucking those figures but during my stint with the vehicle, I matched the claimed figure.

Yes, it might try too hard to be a premium vehicle but for everything else it's a pretty much a good, affordable choice!


Mazda CX-5 - from R382 700

If Mazda has not been a topic of discussion around the braai these days, the CX-5 is a sure steer the conversation towards the Japanese automaker's great products. The latest offering from the Japanese brand is helping the automaker get back on track and take the fight to its rivals. So much so that a few owners of premium-brand products have asked me about trading their current vehicles for the new SUV.

And with its stylish new looks, who can blame them? The refreshed changes might seem discreet on the upgraded model, but it makes a huge difference in terms of design. The headlights and tail lights have been redesigned as well as the front of the car, including the grille. These changes, however minor, give the SUV a more assertive look than before.

It also drives a lot better than before thanks to its torque vectoring system. Mazda has also made some changes to the suspension so the steering commands are more responsive, thus enabling a much more enjoyable drive.

The 2.2-litre model offers a much better drive than the lower-specced 2.0-litre and the engine also seems to be better matched to the automated gearbox. This turbo-diesel hardly sounds like an industrial machine and the loud rattling, common with diesel units, is almost non-existent.

Yes, it's still a struggle to find the perfect gear first time round but the automated box is a vast improvement than before and you learn to live with it. Besides, with Cape Town being rated at the most congested city in the country, any automatic gearbox is a blessing.

It offers a solid drive too when you do reach the open road and it handles spritely driving well, along with some sweeping bends on the R302 en route to the Swartland municipality. It comes with enough standard features to make it quite competive against the usual, more popular rivals - which you usually have to fork out another limb for additional extras.

It's definitely a car to consider if you're looking for something smaller in the SUV segment that is more affordable than high-end premium pricetags.

http://www.wheels24.co.za/NewModels/battle-of-the-mpvs-3-family-cars-that-make-moms-rock-20171121
 
3 Reasons Why Mazda CX-5 is #CarsAwards Finalist

What makes the Mazda CX-5 2.5 Individual a worthy contender in the Family Car category of the 2017/18 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank? We investigate…

Mazda has been making good inroads since its “divorce” from Ford, and one of its most popular models is the CX-5. Recently refreshed, the CX-5 continues to offer excellent build quality, practicality and a balance of comfort and safety features that is hard to beat at the price. Will the CX-5 trump its rivals to take the win the Family Car category?

3 Reasons Why Mazda CX-5 2.5 Individual is a #CarsAwards Finalist

1. Capable engine

In current times the Mazda’s naturally aspirated, relatively large-capacity 2.5-litre petrol engine may look out of step, but on the power front, the CX-5 is not lacking with 121 kW on tap and 210 Nm of torque at 4 000 rpm.

Coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission that is rather good at finding the correct gear for the prevailing driving situation, the CX-5 serves up decent performance, even with a full complement of passengers and luggage. With Mazda’s SkyActiv technology, the CX-5 is quite frugal too, with a claimed fuel consumption figure of 6.4 L/100km which means you should get about 875 km from its 56 L tank.

2. Spacious family car

Riding on a relatively long wheelbase of 2 700 mm and boasting one of the bigger bodies in the compact crossover/SUV segment, the CX-5 serves up a very decent amount of interior space. The boot is well shaped and sized at 403 L and a total of 1 390 L of packing space is on offer with the 40:20:40-split rear seats folded. It should serve families well…

3. Comfortable and refined

This is an area of strength for the Mazda CX-5. Not only is the ride suppleness among the best in this class, the seats themselves are superbly padded for comfort, yet also supportive in the corners. Mazda has also paid careful attention to detail when it comes to NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) control. The cabin of the CX-5 remains a quiet place, even at higher speeds and on poor surfaces. For the driver, cruise control, auto lights and auto wipers are other comfort-boosting features.

https://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/-3-reasons-why-mazda-cx-5-is-carsawards-finalist/44342/
 
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