When the new Mazda CX-5 compact compact SUV goes on sale in Ireland in the first week in May, the introductory powertrain will be a 150hp diesel, writes Brian Byrne from the international launch in Vienna.
The car is a new entry into the highly-competitive segment, which includes competitors VW Tiguan, Ford Kuga, Toyota's RAV and the premium Audi Q5 among several others.
It is also a relatively small segment here thanks to the lashback against SUVs, but increasingly the cars in it are being considered as family cars.
And following serious investment in fuel economy technologies, in Mazda’s case called SkyActiv, the badge ’gas-guzzler’ no longer applies. In Europe the segment is the fastest growing, and has tripled in sales in the last five years.
There will be three grades of the new car, and full prices and specifications for the Irish market will be revealed next week. A 175hp version of the diesel will come later, with the option of AWD, and a petrol variant will be available next year.
Both diesels are Band A for Irish tax, and the petrol will be a Band B car. The car's diesel engines achieve Euro 6 in emissions levels.
The CX-5 will have an active City Safe collision mitigation system, and a system that detects overtaking cars in lanes on either side of the car.
By concentrating on weight-saving techniques, the CX-5 is the lightest car in its segment. As an example, the engines are up to 10 percent lighter than comparable units. There has also been a greater use of high-tensile steel, which gives added strength for lower weight.
