Mazda has officially taken the covers off the 2015 CX-5 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The popular model has received a light facelift, new interior materials and options, improvements in safety, and some additional exterior colours.
Exterior updates include a new front grille with horizontal lines that better represent the latest design expression from Mazda, restyled ‘eye-like design’ headlights with optional LED lighting (available with the Technology Package), and new 19-inch alloy wheels. New colours include Sonic Silver Metallic and Titanium Flash Mica, first seen on the Mazda3.
Mazda says “the new interior design conveys a sense of taste and high quality”. New interior features include Mazda Connect – Mazda’s next-generation car connectivity system – a new electric park brake, and larger-capacity door pockets and floor console box.
Three types of decorative panels will be available for the instrument panel, including an aluminum-look panel with a satin chrome strip, a metallic-finish panel, and a piano black panel. New materials have been also been adopted for the centre of fabric seats, and there’s also a new Parchment leather option.
Mazda has introduced a new structure for the front and rear dampers as well as new bushing shapes for the front lower arms. As a result, Mazda says cabin noise at highway speeds is reduced by approximately 10 per cent over the previous model. Safety-wise, the new CX-5 adopts Mazda Radar Cruise Control and Smart Brake Support.
The CX-5 is currently the best seller in the medium SUV under $60k segment, sitting just in front of the Toyota RAV4. During the month of October Mazda sold a total of 1594 units for a total market share of 16.8 per cent. The RAV4 trailed just behind with 1582 sales for a market share of 16.7 per cent. Year to date, the CX-5 leads the way with 18,237 sales.
Local specifications and details for the 2015 CX-5 are yet to be confirmed. It is expected to arrive on the local market during the first half of next year.
