Mazda claims the CX-5 is one of the most aerodynamic compact SUVs around, with a drag coefficient of 0.33.
Underpinning the CX-5 is a clean-sheet, scaleable platform which, thanks to the increased use of high-tensile steel, is stiffer and lighter than the brand’s previous architecture.
The suspension is divided between MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the back. The latter has been mounted higher than usual to improve damper efficiency. As is becoming the norm in this class and others, the steering rack is an electrically assisted system.      
The real beneficiaries of the SkyActiv R&D budget are the powertrains. Along with two heavily revised transmissions (a smaller, lighter six-speed manual and a tweaked six-speed automatic), the engine line-up is refreshingly simple and fiendishly clever: there’s one 163bhp 2.0-litre petrol and one 2.2-litre diesel unit split into 148bhp and 173bhp variants.
Despite their differing capacities, they share a basic structure (allowing them to be built alongside one another) and, remarkably, the same compression ratio.
The upshot of Mazda’s meticulous attention to detail is simple: a class-leading combination of power and economy. The 148bhp version tested will serve up 280lb ft of torque from 1800rpm, achieve 61.4mpg combined and emit just 119g/km of CO2. 
The petrol CX-5 is only available with the manual transmission and front-wheel drive, with the lower-powered diesel the cheapest way into an automatic CX-5. For a 4WD auto, the 173bhp diesel is necessary.      
INTERIOR

For all of Mazda’s mechanical endeavours, the CX-5 would stand no chance of success if its interior were not up to the critical small family standard. Plenty of equipment and respectable build quality help it to pass muster, but fairly unimaginative architecture and less-than-brilliant materials mean the car is in danger of appearing cheaper than its price tag says it ought to.      
The prevailing sight from the driver’s seat, save a clear and sensibly laid-out instrument cluster, is the streamlined swathe of dashboard that tapers over a set-back multimedia centre. The sat-nav and its touchscreen functions well enough, even if the menu system and the unit itself, look a little old-fashioned.Beneath it is the heater switchgear, which turns with a gratifyingly solid soft click, while below that, on the centre console adjacent to the handbrake, is a selector wheel and buttons that replicate the controls on the touchscreen. Why? Aside from cluttering up the cabin with more buttons than it requires, there’s no decent reason for the duplication.The expendable dial also takes up space that would be better used by a second cupholder; it’s unusual for a car of this size and purpose to have only one and is indicative of a general lack of storage compartments.     
Fortunately, the CX-5 does a better job of accommodating people than it does clutter. A generous 2700mm wheelbase translates into plentiful legroom in the back, and a 503-litre boot is ample. Mazda continues to persevere with its 40/20/40 rear seat split – handy for elongated loads, but it tends to preclude carrying a third rear passenger in comfort.
It’s practical, then, and functional enough to service a family’s needs, but Mazda has been nowhere near creative or stylish enough to produce a class-leading cabin.