Mazda CX-5 2019 Skyactiv-D – diesel upgrade

The latest generation Mazda CX-5 has been here for almost two years, and we have already tested last year's CX-5 model in our editorial office, in both diesel and gasoline engines.

However, Mazda updates its models and gently facelifts every year, adding new features and improvements. Almost like smartphone manufacturers, they always bring up-to-date vehicles to users. It has its pros and cons…

The current CX-5 model for 2019 brought not only a nicer and sleeker front fascia and a few small changes to the interior, but also several changes in versions, equipment and engines. One of these changes is the increase in the power of the 2.2 liter diesel engine to 135 kW (184 hp).

The tested version was equipped with the most powerful diesel engine, an automatic transmission with a classic hydrodynamic converter and its own all-wheel drive. In the top TAKUMI Plus trim, which includes real wood on the panels and dark brown Nappa leather, black headliner and exclusive black 19" wheel rims.

On the current facelift, you will mainly notice narrower main LED headlights, a distinctive radiator grill and a protruding Mazda logo, behind which the radar sensor necessary for adaptive cruise control is hidden. The chrome accessories are appropriately chosen and the front part of the vehicle is really well done.

Rear lights with semi-circular diodes are also nice.

The interior of the car is completely covered in leather, the front and rear seats are heated, and the leather on the seats is finally perforated. However, such a slightly dark atmosphere reigns here. Thanks to the black upholstery, the space feels and looks a little smaller.

Here we find the old familiar leather sports steering wheel and valuable used materials on the dashboard and on the doors, dark wood trim. Almost like the 50 shades of grey… but on the other hand, it's stylish and when you open the sunroof, it lets in some light.

The valuable-looking interior also includes a suitable seat behind the steering wheel, which is not as high as you might expect from an SUV and thus underlines the sportier nature of the car.

There is also plenty of space and comfort in the rear seats, where you can find two USB ports for charging phones and controlling the heating of the rear seats in the folding center armrest. Four passengers can be driven comfortably, five will compete with each other's shoulders a bit. However, for a classic 2+1/2+2 family, it is a royal space.

As for infotainment, Mazda finally provides AndroidAuto and AppleCarPlay compatibility. Aside from the philosophy of not distracting with touch tablets, the protruding small infotainment display and control wheel on the center tunnel is archaic compared to the competition, but – there are people who want it that way.

And I'm happy to join them, because the control is intuitive, simple, and after setting you don't need to tap your fingers on the display anymore. Everything can be equipped quickly and easily with a rotary wheel and buttons. With 360° cameras, parking and maneuvering in the city is no longer a problem, and with the help of four cameras you can see obstacles and blind spots around the entire vehicle. Great feature for monitoring blind spots and T-junctions.

Driving in the vehicle is very quiet and comfortable even on bad Slovak roads. The chassis filters bumps very well and the car remains stable even on large potholes. The attenuation of external sounds and noises is at a very decent level, but I feel that the diesel version is slightly noisier and has a typical diesel sound when pulling from low revs.

The innovative G-Vectoring Control Plus system uses the latest i-ACTIV all-wheel drive technology and continuously switches between two- and four-wheel drive. All this thanks to 27 sensors that check the condition of the road 200 times per second.

The diesel unit is equipped with AdBlue urea injection and is compatible with the new Euro6c standard. You can get the Mazda CX-5 diesel either with a power of 110 kW (150 hp) and a torque of 380 Nm at 1800 to 2600 rpm, or with a power of 135 kW (184 hp) and a torque of up to 445 Nm at 2000 rpm. You can have a weaker variant with both a manual and an automatic transmission and drive the front and both axles.

The more powerful variant has a basic all-wheel drive and you can only choose the transmission. Mazda continues to stick with both six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. In the case of the automatic, it is an old classic with a hydrodynamic converter, which is certainly riding on the wave of time-proven reliability.

184 hp and 445 Nm is a decent amount of dynamics, and the given engine undeniably suits the given car. The onset of the pull is more gradual, but intense and lasts long enough for safe overtaking in all conditions. The flexibility of the engine is excellent in its entire range, and the only thing missing here is the "turbo effect", which is suppressed by the transmission and focus on consumption and driving economy.

Consumption ended after the test at the level of 7.6 liters when driving 50% of district roads and approx. 40% of the city + 10% of highways. Taking into account the fact that it was a practically "raw" car that had driven less than 600 km, it is a decent value.

Mazda CX-5 with top diesel engine and automatic is a great and stylish SUV. Good equipment and good driving characteristics, seconded by a diesel engine with decent consumption.

For those who need higher mileage, more torque and want to save on fuel, the diesel option is more friendly. However, in the long term, higher service costs and constant topping up of urea must be expected. In terms of price, the great and unique 2.5-liter gasoline unit that makes Mazda Mazda…