New Mazda CX-5 to start at £24,000 21 | 03 | 2017

MAZDA’S NEW CX-5 will go on-sale at Scottish dealerships in June, with prices expected to start around £24,000. Mazda says the second-generation CX-5 will kick-start a “fresh era“ for its model range.

First unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show, the new CX-5 will go head-to-head with the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage. Interestingly, the new model is on course to be around £800 more than its principal rivals.

Based heavily on the looks of the larger CX-9, which is sold in the US, the 2017 CX-5 gets a new wide-mouth grille which sits above a cleanly designed bumper. And while the new headlights help give the front-end a sleek look, the car gets a rugged SUV appearance thanks to bulky wheel arches and tall doors.

At 2700mm long, the wheelbase is unchanged, though the car is 5mm shorter overall thanks to tighter overhangs.

The new model also sits lower than its predecessor, and boasts a more sporty stance due to being 10mm wider at the front.

Inside, the cabin gets a new look with a driver-centric focus. As you would expect, the latest CX-5 uses familiar Mazda features such as a three-spoke steering wheel and clutterfree dashboard. There’s also a 7.0in display which is accompanied by a 4.6in high resolution TFT display in the instrument panel and head-up display on the windscreen.

One significant change is the new model’s automatic gear selector has been raised by 60mm, while the  manual gearstick is 40mm higher on the centre console.

Powerplants remain unchanged from the current line-up, meaning a 2.2-litre Skyactiv-D diesel and 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol. Mazda has yet to confirm spec details of the 2017 model, but the outgoing diesel CX-5 has 163bhp and combined fuel economy of 61.4mpg, while the petrol model’s figures are 173bhp and 47.1mpg.

Buyers will have the choice of a standard six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. The standard car also gets front-wheel drive, though Mazda’s i-Active all-wheel drive system available as an option.

Related: Roadtest — Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 SE-L Nav

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Jim McGill