MONTEREY, Calif. (February 27, 2012) - The latest arrival to the Zoom-Zoom family and the first to fully incorporate the full suite of SKYACTIV®[1] technologies, the all-new 2013 Mazda CX-5 is a compact crossover SUV that offers the best highway fuel economy of any SUV sold in North America, at 35 miles per gallon (mpg), and features class-leading overall fuel economy performance versus its direct competitors.
"The 2013 CX-5 is the vehicle compact SUV shoppers have been asking for - that only Mazda can build," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). "Poised to join a fast-growing and increasingly competitive segment, the all-new CX-5 offers more than just flash and features. Consumers also receive the performance and driving dynamics that have become synonymous with the Mazda brand. With its SKYACTIV underpinnings and best-in-class fuel economy, CX-5 proves that 'fun' needn't be sacrificed for efficiency and that 'compact' doesn't mean compromise."
As the segment newcomer, all eyes are undoubtedly on the CX-5. Not one to enter the room and simply be a wallflower, CX-5 captures your attention - and keeps it. From its sleek styling and superior handling to unprecedented fuel economy and competitive pricing, who wouldn't want to ask this compact crossover SUV for a dance? Only Mazda can create a vehicle that evokes such a level of passion, performance and poise. And automotive critics agree that the all-new 2013 CX-5 cannot be ignored. The vehicle has already received industry awards for being the best in its segment - 2012 Drivers' Choice Award for "Best Small Utility Vehicle" from MotorWeek and "2012 Crossover of the Year" from Autobytel.com.
All new from the ground up, from sketch book to showroom floor, CX-5 began with a philosophy. Jinbai ittai, the oneness between car and driver, is instilled within every Mazda. Regardless of purpose - from the large-on-fun, small-in-size Mazda2 to the three-row, tow-the-kids-and-the-in-laws family hauler CX-9 - all Mazdas have a distinct feeling behind the wheel. But can we make that connection even better, in a more efficient, dynamic car? Enter SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY.
Developed as part of Mazda's "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" strategy, SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY was developed based on creating overall vehicle efficiency, and perfectly complements the car-and-driver marriage of performance and passion. Not just a new engine. Not just a new transmission. Not just a new body or a new chassis. More than a bigger bolt or a fancy fender flare that others feel qualify as "all new," CX-5 truly answers the questions of more space, more utility, better handling, better safety, increased performance and increased fuel economy. This is why the clean slate that is SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY will be the pillar of Mazda's next-generation of vehicles.
Efficiency in Engineering
Developed solely by Mazda, SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY is not a package or trim level but an all-encompassing, deeply imbedded philosophy that obtaining more power, more torque and more miles per gallon does not mean sacrificing fuel economy, design or safety. Its first North American application was in Mazda's best-selling vehicle, the Mazda3, which was refreshed for the 2012 model year with a SKYACTIV engine and transmissions. CX-5 is the first global vehicle to receive all SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY components.
Under an expansive hood lies the SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine. Developers of the SKYACTIV-G engine were aiming for a lightweight design that produced more from less. At 13:1, SKYACTIV-G features the world's highest compression ratio for a mass-produced car. Coupled with an all-new 4-2-1 exhaust system as well as redesigned pistons and other components, challenges associated with high compression (such as knocking and operation on 87-octane fuel) were resolved. As a result, SKYACTIV-G is 10 percent lighter, delivers more torque, improves fuel economy and lowers emissions when compared to the MZR 2.0-liter gasoline engine.
CX-5 delivers 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Redline is achieved at 6,500 rpm. With a svelte 3,208-pound body (FWD, SKYACTIV-MT models), CX-5 is one of the lightest vehicles in the segment. With a choice of transmissions in either the SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual or SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic, a 2,000-pound towing capacity and an optional all-new all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, the 2013 CX-5 truly offers a little of everything for everyone.
The SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission (Sport models) brings the crisp, tight shifting and direct, sporty feeling of the MX-5 to the CX-5. To accomplish this, not only was the shift-lever stroke shortened by about 10 percent compared to the current six-speed manual transmission but other technologies were applied as well: a down-type system that uses the forces of gravity to ease upshifts, lock ball-type synchronizer for smooth gear changes, shift load canceller to make the lever action lighter, slide ball bearing and locating 2nd and 3rd gears on a common shaft that drastically reduces the size and weight of the unit. SKYACTIV-MT is lighter by approximately 4.4 pounds, while still achieving a quicker and precise response feel. Only Mazda would go to this level of detail on a manual transmission in an SUV, but only in the details can the depth of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY's engineering philosophy truly be seen.
The SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission combines the best features of today's transmission technologies by integrating the key advantages of a conventional automatic transmission, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). At low speeds, SKYACTIV-Drive acts like a conventional torque-converter automatic, with all the benefits of easy and smooth speed control that these conventional systems offer. At higher speeds (more than five to eight mph), the torque converter is locked and the transmission operates with all the benefits of a dual clutch - fast shifts, minimal power-delivery interruption and rev-matched downshifts. Additionally, SKYACTIV-Drive is smaller and lighter, and contributes a fuel efficiency increase of approximately four to seven percent over conventional transmissions.
And because SKYACTIV-Drive is only available in a Mazda, it offers a fully manual mode, with gears selected by pushing forwards on the console-mounted lever to downshift, pulling backwards to upshift - the same way all racecars are operated. The benefits of SKYACTIV-Drive can only be found in a Mazda, and offer a marked improvement in both drivability and fuel economy versus its competitors.
Both SKYACTIV-MT and SKYACTIV-Drive were developed at the same time, and both were clean-sheet-of-paper designs, which enables Mazda to design the two units to be built on a common assembly line - the only manufacturer in the world to build manual and automatic transmissions on a common line. This leads to drastically increased efficiencies in production.
Boasting the best highway fuel economy of any SUV in North America, the 2013 CX-5 offers an EPA estimated 35 mpg on FWD models and 31 mpg on AWD models. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) models equipped with the standard SKYACTIV-MT are EPA rated with an estimated fuel economy of 26 city/35 highway/29 combined mpg. When equipped with the optional SKYACTIV-Drive, CX-5 FWD models receive an mpg rating of 26 city/32 highway/29 combined. SKYACTIV-Drive is standard on AWD models, which return an estimated EPA fuel economy rating of 25 city/31 highway/28 combined mpg. The combined city and highway fuel economy of 29 mpg on FWD models and 28 mpg on AWD also are best-in-class when compared to non-hybrid competitors.
Reliable Safety
While safety never comes second, having the peace of mind to never have to worry about it in the first place is just as important. Being a compact SUV that doesn't compromise, CX-5's SKYACTIV-Body and SKYACTIV-Chassis ensure a vehicle structure as reinforced and quiet as it is rigid and absorbs impacts.
Precise and predictable, drivers will feel secure in a vehicle that reacts as they react - steering and braking controls are linear, reacting to small inputs with small actions, large actions to large inputs. It sounds easy, yet so few manufacturers are able to get it right. This is the definition of Zoom-Zoom in its truest form, the oneness between car and driver.
Re-examining the suspension and steering systems, the lightweight construction of the SKYACTIV-Chassis includes a front strut suspension and a multi-link rear format along with an assortment of design changes. While structures and sub-assemblies may seem familiar, every individual component was examined to ensure it provides the greatest efficiency, lightest weight and appropriate levels of driver-involvement.
The SKYACTIV-Body is comprised of 61 percent high-tensile steel, creating a lighter, stronger body with superior handling. As a result, the overall structure is eight percent lighter than previous Mazda models. The all-new CX-5 also has the distinction of being the first vehicle ever to utilize 1,800MPa ultra-high tensile steel in manufacturing. Located in the front and rear bumper beams, they are 20 percent stronger and 10.6 pounds lighter than previous generation bumpers. With the all-new CX-5, from the inside out, Mazda has spared no detail.
Standard safety offerings include six airbags (front, side and full side-curtain), four wheel disk brakes, anti-lock brakes (ABS), daytime running lights (DRL), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), a Traction Control System (TCS) and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Also available are a Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system, Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) with auto-leveling bi-xenon headlamps and a rear view camera with distance guide lines.
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