{"id":3524,"date":"2020-02-12T19:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T19:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carpages.ca\/blog\/?p=3524"},"modified":"2020-06-12T19:39:22","modified_gmt":"2020-06-12T19:39:22","slug":"2020-mazda-cx-5-signature-skyactiv-d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carpages.ca\/blog\/this-is-it-your-2020-mazda-cx-5-signature-skyactiv-d\/","title":{"rendered":"This is it: Your 2020 Mazda CX-5 Signature Skyactiv-D"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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No, your eyes don\u2019t deceive you- a Mazda CX-5 once again is the subject of a thorough poking and prodding courtesy of the Carpages Garage. We insist that this time it\u2019s different, having brought you detailed once-overs of the models equipped with the gasoline powerplants available in this perennially excellent SUV in the past. After a long wait a diesel option has entered the fray, and we asked for the keys so we could tell you firsthand about what experiencing Mazda\u2019s compression ignition version of the Skyactiv family of engines is all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we begin, we need to tell you that\nthe common denominators we\u2019ve all associated with all contemporary Mazda\u2019s are present\nand accounted for: handsome styling, decadent interiors and a chassis that\nperfectly balances along the oh-so-fine line between firm and comfort. Pretty\nmuch all that has changed is under the hood, although we wish that Mazda had\ndecided to equip the CX-5 with the same next generation infotainment systems\nfeatured in the Mazda 3 and CX-30- our tester\u2019s version of HMI is starting to\nfeel a little long in the tooth and we hope to see the new one on the menu in next\nyear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, was the near decade long wait worth it?\nWe believe so, and we\u2019ll explain why after spending a good amount of time\ngetting intimately acquainted with the oil burner. So then- why the long delay?\nFirst, Mazda wanted to make sure the diesel engine came from the same gene pool\nas the rest of their engine lineup. That\u2019s quite a challenge on its own, but\nthey also were working towards that goal without the use of an exhaust\ntreatment system, the very same way that Volkswagen went about their diesel\nstrategy. As we now know how that worked out for those guys, Mazda wisely thought\nto regroup before potentially following the German juggernaut down such a disastrous\npath. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to today in the parking lot of\nMazda\u2019s headquarters, where we start by thumbing the start button. After a fractional\ndelay while the glow plugs come up to temperature, the 2.2 inline-four fires up\nwith an unmistakably diesel soundtrack and settles into a pleasant idle. This aural\nsignature, the Skyactiv D badge and the single exhaust outlet are the only clues\nto your fellow motorists that your CX-5 is not like the others. Once underway,\nit sounds lively and possess a cadence not commonly found in diesels. There are\nother behavioral characteristics that you won\u2019t find anywhere else where spark\nplugs are not welcome, but they are of the agreeable variety. Like its gasoline\nfed counterparts, the Skyactiv-D engine loves to rev, and its redline of 5,500\nrpm qualifies it as a screamer amongst diesels. It\u2019s just as effective at the\ntop end as is off idle, something you don\u2019t normally find in with this engine architecture.\nHere\u2019s another unique attribute- it has unexpectedly strong engine braking, as\ngood or better than the gas powerplants it shares the options sheet with, again\nnot something commonly found with compression ignition. Once you get the hang\nof the diesel\u2019s unrushed power delivery that sees gobs of low end torque\nmotivate you easily about, you learn how to exploit the most out of the engine.\nEase into the throttle when merging onto the highway, and the effortless surge\nthat follows never gets old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mazda\u2019s gram strategy- wherein each nut,\nbolt and bracket is made to be as light as possible while remaining sturdy\nenough is on full display here just as it is in the gasoline models. The\nchassis still exhibits a degree of athleticism you pretty much don\u2019t get in an\nSUV, the steering is scalpel sharp and while the ride is on the firmer side, it\ndoesn\u2019t shake your flabby bits on the tarmac that passes for roads in our neck\nof the woods. But where the gram strategy giveth, the gram strategy taketh\naway: there\u2019s more wind and road noise that we\u2019d like although it must be said\nthat Mazda has made great strides in refinement over the years without resorting\nto simply throwing a bunch of sound deadening material at the problem which\nwould ultimately render the scrupulous weight savings moot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often conclude our Road Tests with the question \u2018Should I buy\u2019 whatever car is under scrutiny while in the possession of we of Carpages Garage faithful and if we pose that question in this case, the answer is would still be a Yes; but with a few provisos. So far, Mazda has sensibly made the diesel part of the top-rung Signature trim, because the market for premium diesels is quite small which means the CX-5 finds itself rubbing shoulders with say, the Jaguar F-Pace. There\u2019s a $5,000 premium to make the diesel part of your CX-5 experience, and some will bristle at dropping that kind of scratch for an engine that, on paper at least, makes less power and doesn\u2019t offer the massive fuel economy advantage over its gasoline fed counterparts. Despite these slight misgivings, we\u2019re rooting for this engine to succeed. Enthusiasts love Mazda\u2019s scrappy, unrelenting grasp of what makes their cars so rewarding to drive, and we cannot imagine the resources both financial and human that were dispatched to make this engine a reality. We have a suggestion that will help Mazda justify the diesel\u2019s coming to market from an economies of scale perspective that also happens to add some intrigue to enthusiasts who\u2019d like to see this engine available throughout the lineup- perhaps make the diesel a fixture on the Mazda3\u2019s option sheet? With less mass to tug around, it\u2019d likely be properly quick while returning stellar fuel mileage. If you\u2019re thinking the CX-5 will be a good fit for your motoring needs, you really ought to try the diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020 Mazda CX-5 Signature Skyactiv-D-\nSpecifications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n