- 2 days ago
Another SUV or a benchmark in its class? This is the all-new third-generation Mazda CX-5 and I can assure you it’s more than just another facelift. Join me for this first drive and review!
The new CX-5 has grown by 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) in length, gained a significantly longer wheelbase, and for the first time, features an infotainment system with Google built-in and a screen up to 15.6 inches. Under the bonnet, however, you’ll find the tried and tested naturally aspirated 2.5L e-Skyactiv G engine with mild-hybrid technology. I’m testing if the improved ride comfort and better soundproofing are enough for the CX-5 to remain one of the top choices in its crowded segment.
In this video:
Kodo Design Evolution: What has changed in the design and does it look sharper?
Interior & Technology: How does the largest screen in Mazda's history perform and is Google Gemini integration a real step forward?
e-Skyactiv G Powertrain: Is 141 hp (European spec) enough for a vehicle this size?
Comfort & Handling: How the extended wheelbase (2815 mm) affects stability and rear-seat legroom.
Practicality: Does the 583-liter boot (up by 61 liters) make a real-world difference for families?
↔ 2026
The new CX-5 has grown by 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) in length, gained a significantly longer wheelbase, and for the first time, features an infotainment system with Google built-in and a screen up to 15.6 inches. Under the bonnet, however, you’ll find the tried and tested naturally aspirated 2.5L e-Skyactiv G engine with mild-hybrid technology. I’m testing if the improved ride comfort and better soundproofing are enough for the CX-5 to remain one of the top choices in its crowded segment.
In this video:
Kodo Design Evolution: What has changed in the design and does it look sharper?
Interior & Technology: How does the largest screen in Mazda's history perform and is Google Gemini integration a real step forward?
e-Skyactiv G Powertrain: Is 141 hp (European spec) enough for a vehicle this size?
Comfort & Handling: How the extended wheelbase (2815 mm) affects stability and rear-seat legroom.
Practicality: Does the 583-liter boot (up by 61 liters) make a real-world difference for families?
↔ 2026
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MotorTranscript
00:00we're used to new car generations growing having more powerful engines and ever faster
00:06acceleration times meanwhile mazda surprises us by offering okay a larger third generation of its
00:13best-selling cx5 crossover but with a down-tuned engine and a double digit 0 to 100 kilometers
00:20power time on paper they say it doesn't look as bad as it really is but what's it really like
00:26just in case mazda invited us to sunny spain so we wouldn't have to test the car in late winter
00:33fall
00:34so the only thing that could stop us here are floods let's get on with it shall we
00:57the cx-5 really is a bestseller for mazda in 2025 combined sales of the first and second generations
01:04of the compact crossover exceeded 5 million units this is the third mazda to achieve this result
01:10after the 323 and three models debuting in 2012 the first generation mazda cx-5 introduced a suite of
01:17technologies called sky active as well as the kodo design language today we'll also be discussing both
01:23of these we'll start with one of the elements of the sky active tech the engine it's the two and
01:30a
01:30half liter e sky active g powertrain we know from other mazda models it features a 24 volt mild hybrid
01:38and it's mated to a six-speed automatic mazda decided that instead of making its life more difficult with
01:45say a 48 volt mild hybrid or maybe a full hybrid it's just going to be easier to down tune
01:51the engine
01:52so now we have 141 horsepower from a two and a half liter engine which works out to just over
01:5756
01:58horsepower per liter a souped-up 1964 mustang produced more horsepower per liter and american
02:03engines of the era were famously low on power and high on displacement and now the kodo design mazda
02:11claims that the current version of this design language gives the new cx-5 a sportier and more
02:17confident look the new cx-5 certainly looks beefed up compared to the previous two generations
02:22it's also a full eleven and a half centimeters longer than the second generation now measuring
02:28almost 470 centimeters it's only slightly shorter than the mazda cx60 the wheelbase has also grown by
02:3711 and a half centimeters to 2815 millimeters width has increased by just one and a half centimeters to
02:44186 centimeters also height increased by one and a half centimeters to 169 and a half centimeter
02:52the extended wheelbase means more interior space in this case mostly in the boot and for the second row
02:59passengers the boot now has 586 liters capacity 61 liters more than in the second generation and with the
03:08backrest in the second row folded capacity goes up to 2019 liters 381 liter increase the dimensions
03:18above the floor are 105 centimeters in width the boot is 100 centimeters deep by the floor and 50 centimeters
03:25high from the floor to the cargo cover case this gives us about 500 liters there are also niches on
03:31both sides to accommodate say a golf bag and then there's a styrofoam insert under the floor that houses
03:38the subwoofer the cargo cover fits under the floor this time it's a regular one not the karakuri type as
03:45in
03:45the previous generation there are no shopping bag hooks gone is the extra lever to fold only the middle
03:52section of the backrest with the rear seats folded away we get a flat cargo area
04:00mazda boasts the rear doors open wide but if i remember correctly the previous generation also had
04:06good access to the rear seats however the door opening is now seven centimeters wider this probably
04:13also means that the doors are seven centimeters longer so opening them wide may be a bit more
04:18difficult in tight parking spaces now the longer wheelbase also means there is more legroom up to 58
04:24millimeters more and regardless of the wheelbase mazda also managed to create almost three centimeters
04:32more headroom
04:35ice fix anchor points are still only on the two outer rear seats the backrest still splits 40 20 40
04:42but the usb ports and the seat heating buttons have been moved from the armrest to near the air vents
04:49no there are no controls for the third climate zone
04:53the door pockets are good size but the plastics are hard so there may be some rattling to be honest
05:00the whole interior feels very light for example the rear backrests are light as a feather
05:08depending on the trim level there may be pockets in the front seat backrests
05:14regardless of the trim doors cover the seals but the top trim level gets glossy seals and fender protectors
05:23while lesser versions have matte finish and in my opinion matte is better not necessarily nicer when
05:30the car is new but better when the car is a couple of months old there's something else that sets
05:36the top of
05:37the line homura apart the kodo lighting in case of the rear lights it's just that single illuminated element
05:45and in the front the daytime running lights are two strips here instead of this one rectangle here the
05:53rectangle is part of one of the three elements for the headlights and high beams these three here
06:03here i think it's time we go for a drive and i'll tell you about changes in the cockpit later
06:08on
06:11every test drive of a new mazda model starts with a question about jimbaitai the horse and rider together
06:18if you're buying a mazda for other reasons that's fine and we'll get to those in a moment but for
06:24those
06:24of you who love mazda for its handling i can reassure you that the ride and handling are in true
06:30mazda
06:31spirit the steering even if overly assisted is very direct and that's a plus the suspension is
06:38adequately tuned so it's firm and absorbs the bumps well but also stabilizes the car during fast cornering
06:50unfortunately visibility leaves much to be desired higher window line and the angle of the a pillars
06:56may make it difficult for some drivers to see out especially during city maneuvers furthermore i have
07:01the impression that those longer rear doors meant pushing the b pillar forward and now i can see it out
07:08of the corner of my eye and i'm not even that tall so taller drivers will see even more of
07:13the b pillar
07:14or they won't because the reach adjustment range for the steering column is ridiculously short
07:24and now let's go back to the two and a half liter 141 horsepower elephant in the room in the
07:31launch
07:31presentation mazda showed us that peak power is now much lower in the rev range and so is the peak
07:36torque
07:36and the gearbox has been revised to make the shifts quicker and crisper so the car should feel
07:43more responsive where it matters the most in low and mid range and yes as long as you're pottering
07:52around town and you're gentle with the gas pedal you get more than enough grunt however this doesn't
07:59change the fact that the cx5 now accelerates from zero to 100 kilometers per hour and 10.5 seconds in
08:04the front wheel drive version or 10.9 seconds with all-wheel drive that's almost as slow as the
08:09lexus nx plug-in hybrid in electric only mode so if you do need to make a really quick maneuver
08:16accelerate on the highway and you step on it this is when things start falling apart
08:23the engine howls the transmission is looking for the right gear and it takes way too long interestingly
08:30when driving at a constant speed at motorway speed the car feels well soundproof but when you accelerate hard
08:41it sounds as if the firewall has been made of tin foil
08:47this is pedal to the metal
08:52nothing
08:58mazda claims the combined fuel economy should be around seven seven and a half liters per 100 kilometers
09:04depending on the powertrain and trim during these launch events it's hard to get a reliable reading
09:09but after the whole day of filming i estimate the mazda uses about seven and a half eight liters per
09:14100
09:15kilometers combined assuming you're not flooring it all the time
09:19the car can still tow trailers weighing up to two tons
09:23on the plus side isa can still be disabled with a single click of a button
09:29the adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist works reasonably well
09:33however approaching a roundabout i've experienced an emergency power cut off
09:37i was about to enter the roundabout and i pressed the accelerator just as a car was passing in front
09:42of me
09:43mazda cut off power as i entered the roundabout and started all its emergency beeping i had to let
09:50go of the pedals then push the brake let the car come down and only then i regained power which
09:56meant
09:57i actually cut someone off not ideal for driving in real life dense traffic
10:07and now for perhaps the most controversial change less physical controls and more screen
10:14all but the top trim get a 12.9 inch display while the homura gets a 15.6 inch screen
10:21to the best of my
10:22knowledge the only difference between what's displayed on the screens depends on the features
10:27available on a given trim level so for example ventilated seats are only on the homura trim
10:33and the largest screen now the infotainment system is based on google automotive vasda claims
10:40that you don't need buttons when you can talk to the car however i'm a boomer who gets a brain
10:46freeze
10:46every time i have to talk to inanimate objects so this is why i prefer buttons anyway
10:53this system isn't the fastest and even google satnav when sprinkled with mazda's magic is so slow that i
11:01keep taking wrong exits from roundabouts i recall the same problems since tomtop satnav in mazda cx3 i
11:08think it was and the launch event was also here oh so many years ago still it's a bit of
11:17continuity
11:20google services require internet access there's a data plan included for the first couple of years
11:26mazda hasn't yet announced the terms of the plan extension but if necessary you can also use your
11:31phone as a wi-fi hotspot so in that case it's better to simply switch to android auto i guess
11:37on the plus side there are spacious door pockets good cup holders a wireless charger and a place for
11:43the key fob storage under the armrest is small and i'm not a fan of this split lid the glove
11:50box is
11:51also small for this big a car the virtual instrument cluster graphics are reminiscent of those in bmw
11:58the screen contents can be controlled with buttons in the steering wheel they're not as bad as full-on
12:04touch sensitive surface but not as good as those in previous mazda models at least the head-up display
12:10is large and legible and features all necessary information from satnav and driver aids prices of
12:18the new mazda cx5 started 34 990 euro for the front wheel drive prime line trim this test car is
12:26the
12:26homura all-wheel drive with a panoramic sunroof and sole red crystal paint the total price is 46 790 euro
12:40the new mazda cx5 is competitively priced for a car this size and you're buying from an established
12:45brand rather than from a chinese newcomer even if mazda's performance is um somewhat modest
12:54and what do you think about the new mazda cx5 let me know in the comment section below
13:01if you like my sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing car reviews join me every friday at
13:083pm central european time and don't forget to subscribe and like this video as it helps me
13:13with the youtube algorithm thanks for watching and i will see you in the next one
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