Welsh Motoring Writers' 2010 automotive achievement award went to Mazda Motor Corporation. It marked 20 years of the MX-5 sports car, 50 years since its first motor car, half a century of work on the Rotary Combustion Engine and 90th anniversary of the company's formation.
But it was not just a look back. For the future, another major theme of the award was Mazda's SKYACTIV technology - or technologies - since engine, transmission and vehicle construction issues have been tackled in one fell swoop.
But it was not just a look back. For the future, another major theme of the award was Mazda's SKYACTIV technology - or technologies - since engine, transmission and vehicle construction issues have been tackled in one fell swoop.
Some aspects were previewed on the small lightweight Mazda2 supermini. But the first vehicle to be produced in this entirely new way is the 2012 CX-5 compact SUV. Mazda has developed a system for building its whole range of cars on one basic set of components - "platform" is too simple a description now.
The CX-5 body is claimed to be both lighter and stiffer than would normally be the case and, apart from the obvious advantages (strength, safety, fuel economy etc.), there are ride and handling benefits such as sharper steering and better body control. It is more 'crossover' than out and out off-road SUV.
Aimed squarely at the "compact" sector, rear seat passengers nonetheless will find it quite spacious and loadspace is also impressive. Again, six-speedspeed manual and automatic transmissions are new, lighter and more efficient.
The manual is slick and sports-car swift while the automatic combines the virtues of a CVT and dual clutch yet retains a familiar torque converter design, says Mazda. Both, apparently, have contributed fuel economy gains.
Model line-up is SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav. The petrol engine is a 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, 165ps unit whereas the 2.2 litre diesel offers 150 or 175ps. Inevitably there are "fake SUV" 4x2 (front wheel drive) models which flatter the vital statistics: fuel consumption, CO2 (road and business taxes) and insurance.
All-wheel drive is only available with the 2.2 diesel (as is the option of automatic transmission) but with either 150 or 175 variant. Asking prices start at £21,395 for the cheapest petrol 4x2 whereas £24,695 is the entry point for 4x4 topping out at £27,595 for the Sport Nav 175 which is pushing into premium territory pricing.
Diesel all-wheel drive and six-speed manual is the clear car of choice. The 150 will do 122mph and 0-62 in 9.4 secs; CO2 is 136g/km and official (combined) fuel consumption is 54.3mpg; Insurance 19E. The 175: 129mph; 0-62mph 8.8 secs; CO2 136g/km; 54.3mpg; Insurance 23E.
There is no mpg or CO2 penalty for the distinctly livelier 175ps and Band E means a 12-month road tax rate of £120 with no extra first year hit. Equipment levels are quite good - 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone air conditioning and Bluetooth communication, for example, come with the lowest priced model.
The new CX-5 is up there with Land Rover's Freelander, Volkswagen Tiguan, BMW X3 and Audi Q5. Like the Freelander and Tiguan, it is basically a front drive car with on-demand 4x4 dialled in automatically as slip is detected and this can vary through to 50/50 front/rear.
Despite all the Skyactiv weight saving, braked trailer limit for the 4x4 versions is par for the class at 2,000kg. Having been heralded by such news of technological feats the initial driving experience falls a bit flat - it seems so ordinary.
Ride is probably better than many (these vehicles tend to be a bit stiffly sprung) without Mazda CX-5. too much of a trade off in terms of cornering and body control. Electric power steering is rather light and lifeless but, overall, its dynamic attributes emerge as commendably car-like.
The CX-5 is not a towering 4x4 but is taller than a normal estate and the driving position is usefully higher and comfortable. Fit and finish seems good as does build quality generally. Add in those promising bottom line running costs and this step-change SKYACTIV SUV does begin to impress.
By Huw Thomas
First published in Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the National Farmer' Union of Wales.
The CX-5 body is claimed to be both lighter and stiffer than would normally be the case and, apart from the obvious advantages (strength, safety, fuel economy etc.), there are ride and handling benefits such as sharper steering and better body control. It is more 'crossover' than out and out off-road SUV.
Aimed squarely at the "compact" sector, rear seat passengers nonetheless will find it quite spacious and loadspace is also impressive. Again, six-speedspeed manual and automatic transmissions are new, lighter and more efficient.
The manual is slick and sports-car swift while the automatic combines the virtues of a CVT and dual clutch yet retains a familiar torque converter design, says Mazda. Both, apparently, have contributed fuel economy gains.
Model line-up is SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav. The petrol engine is a 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, 165ps unit whereas the 2.2 litre diesel offers 150 or 175ps. Inevitably there are "fake SUV" 4x2 (front wheel drive) models which flatter the vital statistics: fuel consumption, CO2 (road and business taxes) and insurance.
All-wheel drive is only available with the 2.2 diesel (as is the option of automatic transmission) but with either 150 or 175 variant. Asking prices start at £21,395 for the cheapest petrol 4x2 whereas £24,695 is the entry point for 4x4 topping out at £27,595 for the Sport Nav 175 which is pushing into premium territory pricing.
Diesel all-wheel drive and six-speed manual is the clear car of choice. The 150 will do 122mph and 0-62 in 9.4 secs; CO2 is 136g/km and official (combined) fuel consumption is 54.3mpg; Insurance 19E. The 175: 129mph; 0-62mph 8.8 secs; CO2 136g/km; 54.3mpg; Insurance 23E.
There is no mpg or CO2 penalty for the distinctly livelier 175ps and Band E means a 12-month road tax rate of £120 with no extra first year hit. Equipment levels are quite good - 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone air conditioning and Bluetooth communication, for example, come with the lowest priced model.
The new CX-5 is up there with Land Rover's Freelander, Volkswagen Tiguan, BMW X3 and Audi Q5. Like the Freelander and Tiguan, it is basically a front drive car with on-demand 4x4 dialled in automatically as slip is detected and this can vary through to 50/50 front/rear.
Despite all the Skyactiv weight saving, braked trailer limit for the 4x4 versions is par for the class at 2,000kg. Having been heralded by such news of technological feats the initial driving experience falls a bit flat - it seems so ordinary.
Ride is probably better than many (these vehicles tend to be a bit stiffly sprung) without Mazda CX-5. too much of a trade off in terms of cornering and body control. Electric power steering is rather light and lifeless but, overall, its dynamic attributes emerge as commendably car-like.
The CX-5 is not a towering 4x4 but is taller than a normal estate and the driving position is usefully higher and comfortable. Fit and finish seems good as does build quality generally. Add in those promising bottom line running costs and this step-change SKYACTIV SUV does begin to impress.
By Huw Thomas
First published in Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the National Farmer' Union of Wales.
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