Mazda CX-5 (2012) first official pictures

This is the new Mazda CX-5, the third addition to the Japanese car company’s SUV line-up after the CX-7 and CX-9 (the latter isn’t sold in Europe). It’s a rival for the Freelander, Kuga and every other compact SUV out there, and will officially unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September.

It’s the first production car to feature Mazda’s new Kodo design language, showcased by the Minagi (a thinly veiled concept of the CX-5) and Shinari show cars. Mazda has only released a few photos so far, but first impressions are of a good-looking little SUV.

It’s also the first production car to boast Mazda’s new SkyActiv Technology, a plethora of fuel saving advancements, from lightweight bodies and chassis, to new engines and gearboxes. When Mazda showcased its SkyActiv tech earlier this year it claimed the body-in-white was 30% more rigid but 8% lighter than before, and that the front and rear running gear assemblies weighed 14% less. There are new manual and automatic transmissions too, the latter claimed to weigh 16% less and improved fuel economy by 1% thanks to reduced frictional losses.

The engines are all-new too, a SkyActiv-G 2.0-litre petrol and a SkyActiv-D 2.2 diesel. The petrol engine has a high 14:1 compression ratio to improve fuel economy, and the diesel has a lower-than-average 14:1 compression ratio to reduce NOx. Because of the lower pressures the diesel's block is aluminium, saving 25kg and Mazda hopes that the ‘Standard Power’ version (in front-wheel drive guise, with the new manual ‘box and stop/start tech) will dip below 120g/km CO2 – there will also be a High Power version. 

UK sales of the new Mazda CX-5 commence in early 2012.

By Ben Pulman