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2019 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Drivers' Notes Review | More power, more love

The second-gen Mazda CX-5 has been on sale since 2017, but the big news for this year is the addition of a new turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four. The engine — dubbed Skyactiv-G — is shared with the Mazda6 and the Mazda CX-9 three-row crossover and makes 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on regular gas and up to 250 hp when running premium fuel. Fuel economy for the new engine is rated at 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. The engine is only available with all-wheel drive, but the extra grunt means fuel economy is down from the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four (24 city, 30 highway and 26 combined). The new engine is wrapped in the same familiar package we've seen for the past couple of years, but is exclusive to the range-topping Grand Touring Reserve and Signature trim levels. This particular test car was a Signature, which starts at $37,935 before options. For reference, a base, front-wheel drive CX-5 Sport starts at $25,395. Standard features on the CX-5 Signature include 19-inch wheels, LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, leather seating, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, proximity entry and push-button start, and a Bose audio system. Options on this Soul Red ($595) model are restricted to accessory items: $70 for a cargo mat, $125 for all-weather floor mats, $400 for illuminated door sills, $125 for a rear-bumper guard and $250 for a retractable cargo cover. The final MSRP comes in just below $40,000. Our contributor Ben Hsu had high praise for the CX-5 turbo in our recent first-drive review. Now the rest of us have had a crack at it. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I love the CX-5's looks and driving dynamics. It's a sporty Mazda tailored to the crossover segment. This one, done up in Soul Red Crystal Metallic (what a name) and Signature trim with smokey 19-inch wheels, looks great. The Skyactiv-G four-cylinder with 227 hp (on 87 octane) and 310 pound-feet of torque makes for a brisk driving experience. In Sport mode, it's almost more eager than I want it to be. The main downside is the interior. The materials are just fine, and the infotainment is a little clunky to use. It takes a few more moves than I'd like to change the radio station. Also, major demerits for not being able to put a rear-facing car seat in the middle. Considering young families are a target market for this, that is not ideal.

2020 Mazda CX-5 adds torque to the turbo engine, gets more expensive

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 is getting a little more desirable in the new model year. It’s also slightly more expensive. Most of the benefits are realized with the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. This engine gets a small boost in torque, going from 310 pound-feet to 320 pound-feet. Horsepower stays the same at 250 horses, and the max power is still made using 93 octane fuel. We saw a similar torque gain in the 2020 CX-9. Mazda says it also added a new “Engine Harmonics Enhancer” that “tunes to the engine with a much more refined and powerful sound.” WeÂ’re guessing the turbocharged engine is going to sound just a hair better in 2020. When equipped with the turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, the CX-5 also gets an off-road traction assist feature. Similar to the CX-9Â’s system, Mazda says “when the diagonal wheels lose traction, off-road traction assist will stop reducing the engine torque and increase the brake force on the wheels without traction.”  Mazda says all CX-5s will also take advantage of improved NVH, making the CX-5 feel a bit more premium and isolated from the road. Every CX-5 will also be equipped with MazdaÂ’s suite of i-Activsense safety features as standard in 2020, as well. This means adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are both standard features now. As Mazda tries its best to move into the premium space, itÂ’s changed all the fonts on the badging and displays on the car. Although, Mazda neglected to include any photos of the new look, so weÂ’ll wait to judge on that front. The premium look and feel comes with a slightly higher price than 2019. A base Sport is $740 more expensive than last year, coming in at $26,135 after the $1,045 destination charge. The most luxurious Signature trim is just a touch more expensive than last year (by $165) at $38,100. What Mazda hasnÂ’t included in its 2020 rundown is the Skyactiv-D diesel option. WeÂ’ve reached out to Mazda to see if we can determine its fate in 2020 and will update this story upon hearing back. Update: Mazda responded to our request for comment. Since the 2019 diesel variant was on a different release schedule than the rest of the 2019 CX-5 lineup, the company isn't talking 2020 diesel yet. The company is treating it as a "future product," therefore it's not commenting on it.  We can only speculate as to what that means for the diesel CX-5, so we'll wait on official information from Mazda whenever it may come.

Mazda reports highest profits in its 94-year history

We may only be a third of the way through 2014, but for Japanese companies, March 31 marked the end of fiscal 2014, and it was a banner financial year for Mazda's global operations. The Japanese independent saw its highest global operating profits in its nearly 100-year history. Its global operating profits were up a huge 238 percent. Yes, a 238 percent increase over 2012 to 1.36 billion euros ($1.88 billion), eclipsing the brand's previous best year, 2008, by 12 percent. Net earnings, revenue and global sales volume also saw increases over the last fiscal year.
What's most impressive, though, is where Mazda saw improvement. The notoriously rough European market was rather kind to the Zoom-Zoom brand, where sales increased 25 percent to 163,000 units. That figure was bolstered by a 35-percent sales increase in Great Britain and a 20-percent jump in Germany, Europe's two largest markets. Japanese sales, meanwhile, were up a respectable 13 percent, to 244,000 units. In China, Mazda saw a 12 percent bump.
Notice we aren't talking about North American sales? That's because Mazda only saw a moderate, five-percent gain in the New World, with sales climbing to 391,000 units in the US, Canada and Mexico. This is particularly disappointing considering Mazda has launched three critically acclaimed products (CX-5, Mazda6 and most recently, Mazda3) for the North American market over the past two fiscal years. Still, it isn't a particular reason to be concerned, as IHS industry analyst Stephanie Brinley notes. "Five percent isn't terrible," Brinley told Autoblog, saying that Mazda should see a bump in 2014 as the Mazda3 picks up steam.