The new Mazda CX-5 grows up: more space, more screens, fewer dials

The all-new Mazda CX-5 launches in Japan: 115 mm longer wheelbase, 178 hp 2.5L mild hybrid, 12.9 or 15.6-inch display with Google.

The new Mazda CX-5 has gone on sale in Japan — the brand has rolled out a fully overhauled generation of its crossover for the first time in nine years. The CX-5 is a cornerstone model for Mazda: more than five million units have been sold worldwide since 2012, which is why this update isn’t cosmetic but a complete redesign.

The new CX-5 is noticeably bigger. Length grows to 4,690 mm, width to 1,860 mm, height to 1,695 mm, and the wheelbase stretches to 2,815 mm. The 115 mm gain in wheelbase has been handed straight to passengers: there’s more knee and head room in the back. The boot now swallows 466 litres — enough, Mazda claims, for four golf bags or four suitcases.

Inside, Mazda has fitted Google built-in infotainment for the first time. The familiar rotary dial and a chunk of the physical buttons have been replaced by a large 15.6 or 12.9-inch display. Climate control moves to the screen as well, though the hazard lights and the defroster stay on dedicated physical buttons.

Under the bonnet sits a 2.5-litre petrol e-SKYACTIV G with a mild hybrid system. The engine delivers 178 hp and 237 Nm, runs on regular fuel and, for the first time on a Japanese-market Mazda, supports E10 petrol. WLTC fuel economy is 15.2 km/L for the front-wheel-drive version and 14.2 km/L for the all-wheel-drive one — roughly 6.6–7.0 L per 100 km.

Prices in Japan range from 3.3 to 4.47 million yen. The new CX-5 hasn’t just become fresher — it’s grown up: more space, more digital tech and less of Mazda’s familiar analogue logic in the interface. For long-time fans of the brand it’s a divisive move, but for a family SUV the reasoning makes sense.