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2018 Mazda CX-5 gets cylinder deactivation, more standard features

Mazda recently announced its new Mazda6 would feature two engines, one of which would be a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivation. Now the company has revealed the 2018 Mazda CX-5 will also get cylinder deactivation on its sole 2.5-liter four-cylinder. For those curious, the system shuts off the cylinders on the ends of the engine to save fuel. Mazda also says that the engine has been updated in a number of other small areas to reduce friction and further improve efficiency. The company hasn't provided fuel economy numbers for the new engine, though. The updates for the CX-5 go beyond the powertrain, as all trim levels get more standard features. The base-level CX-5 Sport now comes with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic warning. The mid-level CX-5 Touring now has the i-Activsense safety feature suite standard, which includes automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist. This suite of features is also available as an option for the first time on the Sport model. The top-level CX-5 Grand Touring gets seat memory for two settings, as well as a power-adjustable passenger seat. These updates bring very minor increases in price. The Sport trim adds another $140 over the 2017 version. The Touring jumps the most, up $335. The Grand Touring model increases $285. You'll be able to find 2018 CX-5s soon, as Mazda says they'll be arriving at dealers December 2017. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda CX-5: First Drive View 25 Photos Image Credit: Mazda Green Mazda Crossover SUV mazda cx-5

Mazda planning 'aggressive' dealer shakeup

Mazda has set an ambitious goal of selling 400,000 units by the end of the 2015 Japanese fiscal year in March 2016, and to do that, it's going to need to take some aggressive action. That means that underperforming members of its 637-showroom strong dealer network are about to get the axe.
The purge won't just be limited to dealers that aren't performing, though. Mazda will seek to consolidate poorly located dealers and build new showrooms in better locations. It still isn't clear how many dealers are being targeted or at what point Mazda would end its cull.
This consolidation of dealers is all part of a one-two punch for the Japanese brand, that will also see increased marketing efforts in 35 key areas. Of those markets, Mazda is placing a special emphasis on New York and LA, although there's not much mention of what other regions are being looked at.

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.