Priced from €24,995 - €29,995, this versatile 7-seater offers good value for money and is an option that should be considered by busy and active families.
Four trims are offered: Comfort, Executive, Executive SE and Sport; all are powered by the low-emission 1.6 diesel engine which replaces the 2.0 diesel, outputting 115ps and all versions are now in Band B for road tax of €156 due to the 13 per cent improvement in C02 emissions. This is particularly big news for Irish drivers as the engine is smaller yet more powerful.
One of the main features of the '5 are the twin sliding side doors, perfect for those tight car park spaces, or for ease in getting in and out as they slide along the side of the car, providing a full opening space - great for a busy mum getting the kids in and out or for not-so-agile older folk. What's more, in the Sport model they can be opened by the key fob.
Those in the middle row will also appreciate the pull-up plastic trays, with a cupholder, on the backs of the front seats.
You can view the range left to empty via the trip computer as well as your average fuel consumption. The official more frugal fuel economy is 5.2 L/100km (54mpg) instead of the 6.1 L/100km of the older version. This, of course, can vary from driver to driver in real life conditions.
There's a new dash, steering wheel and centre console in this newest model, all giving a more premium look than before.
The test model had black leather seats with a red strip along the edges and red stitching. Seats are now bigger and wider than before. Except for the middle one in the second row which is still too small for an adult to squeeze into. Second and third row ones can be folded easily providing a flat 1,485 litres of space for carrying bulky items. Access to the very back two seats is quite easy.
Storage compartments include good sized door bins, a shelf over a really good, and deep, glovebox while a section of the floor, near the tailgate, comes up to reveal an under-floor compartment; below that again is a temporary spare wheel.
My test car had climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors, and cruise control. There was also a tyre pressure monitor, trip computer and welcome mode lighting, roof rails and privacy glass.
Being a family car, safety is of the utmost importance and my review car was well equipped with ABS, EBD electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, traction control, dynamic stability control, emergency Stop Signal, and front/side/and curtain airbags for all three rows, as standard. The metallic paint was an extra €475.
This is a very solid car on the road and proved a neat operator around town, with great all-round visibility. The slick 6-speed manual gearbox made driving a real pleasure.
While Ford has recently entered the market with its Grand C-MAX 7-seater, this compact MPV sector has been dominated by Renault and Opel. However, the all-new Mazda5 should certainly take its share of this group.
