Mazda CX-5 facelift appears at LA with minor upgrades

The Mazda CX-5 has been on sale for nearly three years now, so it’s been getting a bit long in the tooth. Earlier in the month, images purportedly taken from the brochure of a facelifted model began circulating around the Internet, and now Mazda has made it official – the revised C-segment crossover made its debut at the ongoing LA Auto Show alongside to the also-rejuvenated Mazda 6 and the new CX-3.

Unlike the 6, changes to the CX-5 are rather more subtle. The grille is now lined with metallic grey horizontal slats, the headlights feature new Mazda 2-inspired LED signature lights around the projector units, the fog lights and their surrounds have been restyled and the tail lights now incorporate LED elements similar to its more recent siblings. There’s also a new design for the larger 19-inch alloy wheel option.

Equally minimal changes have been applied to the interior. The same basic design has been kept, but the facelift adds redesigned metallic-finish trim, new decorative panel and upholstery choices, revised switchgear for the climate control as well as a electronic parking brake that frees up space for a small cubby hole beside the cupholders on the new transmission tunnel console.

Also new is the MZD Connect infotainment system that first made its debut on the Mazda 3, operated by a new rotary controller aft of the gearlever. The seven-inch central display is not of a freestanding design like on other Mazdas, but instead integrated into the dashboard design as before. Additionally, the seat structures have been redesigned for better comfort and cornering support.

The existing four-cylinder engine choices – a 155 hp/200 Nm 2.0 litre SkyActiv-G petrol, a 184 hp/250 Nm 2.5 litre SkyActiv-G petrol and a 148 hp/350 Nm 2.2 litre SkyActiv-D “clean diesel” – as well as the six-speed SkyActiv-MT manual or SkyActiv-Drive automatic transmissions have been retained, but cabin noise levels at a cruise have been reduced by about 10% over the pre-facelift model.

Under the skin, the suspension features a new structure for the front and rear dampers as well as optimised front lower arm bushings for a smoother, flatter ride. The all-wheel drive system makes use of low-viscosity synthetic oil for better fuel economy, and all automatic petrol-powered CX-5 models now incorporate a Drive Selection feature for the transmission similar to the new 2 and revised 6.

The CX-5’s i-ActivSense suite of active safety features has been expanded to include adaptive LED headlights, Lane-keep Assist System (LAS), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and Smart Brake Support (SBS). The existing Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) and Pre-crash Throttle Control (PTC) functions now include rear obstacle and vehicle detection, while Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) has been updated with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.