A few months ago it was announced that Ford and Mazda would be parting ways.
That time has now finally arrived and it seems Mazda will be making it through this tough divorce unscathed.
Not only has it built a brand-new headquarters in Midrand, but it has also set up a parts distribution centre right next door. As part of the brand’s so-called relaunch in SA, we were taken on a quick tour of this facility.
Things are still a bit chaotic at the moment, but the good news is that Mazda has around R50 million worth of spare parts and will be ready to service the needs of their customers in around two weeks.
Now, launching a brand is always tough, but luckily Mazda has come prepared with all-new and revamped models to grab the public’s attention.
Most of these models are of no importance to Leisure Wheels readers, but the new range includes an uprated CX-5, which is now, for the first time, available with a diesel engine and all-wheel drive.
The exterior is the same as before, but Mazda has included more features as standard across the range. In basic Active guise the CX-5 comes with every luxury one might need, while moving up the range adds a number of nice-to-have features transform it into a rather luxurious vehicle.
Four engine options are available to the SA market. The first is the 2,0-litre petrol carried over from the pre-divorce CX-5. It produces 114kW/200Nm of torque and has a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 6,4 l/100km.
The petrol range now also includes a 2,5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder option, with 138kW and 250Nm on tape. The claimed fuel consumption figure for this model is 6,9 l/100km.
The big news is that diesel engine mentioned previously. It’s available in low and high output guises and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
In the base diesel model the engine produces 110kW/380Nm of torque, while the high output motor pushes the figures up to 129kW/420Nm.
Mazda claims that both these models consume less than 6,0 l/100km on the combined cycle.
Mazda has also included a rather impressive warranty on all these models. As standard you get a three-year/unlimited km warranty, which shows real confidence in the product.
The CX-5 range now consists of six models, with the cheapest model coming in at just over R315 000 and the top-of-the-line AWD diesel costing R456 100.
