Instrumented Test
Perhaps you’ve seen the TV ad showing a CX-5 Zoom-Zooming across a dry lake and then whistling past an array of scientific apparatuses, staffed by a bevy of guys in lab coats who seem to be deliriously happy with what they’re witnessing. The spot suggests a dynamic trait—speed—that isn’t readily apparent in the CX-5’s real-world persona. Or, more accurately, acceleration, since speed can be summoned. Eventually.
Our test crew flogged this particular CX-5, a base front-drive model with a six-speed manual transmission hooked to its 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder, to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds and turned the quarter-mile in 17.1 seconds at 83 mph. For contrast, the latest Honda CR-V sprints to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 16.6 at 85 mph. That CR-V was equipped with a 185-hp four, optional all-wheel drive, and a standard automatic transmission, and it weighed 3478 pounds, 352 more than our Mazda test subject.
This raises some questions: (a) Can there be Zoom-Zoom in the absence of 0-to-60 zoom? (b) How important is hustle in the contemporary compact-crossover quest? (c) What the hell is Skyactiv?
The answers are: (a) yes; (b) that’s up to you; and (c) one of the more arcane marketing slogans in the history of the automobile.
Skyactiv
It’s likely that the guys manning Mazda showrooms find themselves trying to explain this obscure term until they’re ready to shriek. The term originated in Japan during the development of the CX-5 and was conceived to establish new architecture and a new approach to vehicle design and engineering at Mazda. Mazda’s management told R&D, design, and engineering that “the sky is the limit.” But “Sky Technology” made no sense, and the word couldn’t be copyrighted in any case. So “active” was appended, minus a pesky ‘e.’ We can imagine U.S. marketing people rolling their eyes when this term was cast in stone. You’ve gotta be kidding! They weren’t kidding.
Here’s a simplistic translation: Skyactiv Technology is essentially a holistic view of vehicle development, integrating all aspects—the powertrain, the chassis, the body shell, the suspension—from concept through design to final sign-off, with a strong emphasis on minimizing mass and maximizing fuel economy.
Mazda hasn’t reinvented the wheel here. Spurred by cost and fuel-economy goals, other carmakers have been heading in this direction for quite some time. But Mazda has taken the process another step, and the results show to good advantage in the CX-5. Provided you’re not in a big hurry.
Momentum and Fun
The CX-5 is propelled by a new 2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve aluminum four-cylinder. It’s a long-stroke design, with direct injection, and generates a modest 155 hp (at 6000 rpm) and an equally modest 150 lb-ft of torque. Although the Skyactiv engineering kept the CX-5’s weight near the bottom of the compact-CUV scale, its engine output occupies the same position on the horsepower charts.
