Some intriguing enhancements for this sales stalwart but potential exclusion from the brand’s electric drivetrain strategy intrigues.

HOW well does an urban favourite sports utility cope with a non-urban landscape?

 Addition of an off-road function is among the updates arriving to the Mazda CX-5 that might raise curiosity from the car’s big fanbase.

 A feature specific to two of the five all-wheel-drive variants – the Takami that continues as the family flagship and a new Activ edition, both pictured today – is a step up from the Off-Road Traction Assist function that became a provision about two years ago and still features on the other AWD models.

 So, is this Hiroshima limbering up to take on Subaru’s Forester, another category competitor which has traditionally held the upper ground within this class as being the most all-terrain capable?

 From the gist of the presentation given by Mazda New Zealand, the answer to that one is … ‘erm no, not really.’

 While the new mode is definitely giving the CX-5 extra talent when its driven beyond the seal, this isn’t Mazda fitting it out with full mountain-climbing gear.

 Their concession about it not being a dedicated off-road car is well-founded. The new models continue with standard road-configured suspension and ride height settings, don’t have any additional under-body protection and still keep their road tyres.  Basically, they’re not ready to be thrown into the deep end.

 Really, the new feature is here to give reassurance to the small cadre among the car’s strong fanbase who have active outdoorsy activities and need the car to get them a bit closer to that action.

 How much closer is a bit of a grey area, but it could be worth bearing in mind that Mazda NZ said all its local testing was conducted on a paddock in dry conditions. To be fair, it wasn’t just flat ground. The car was also thrown at a hill. And might have even achieved the summit, we were told, had the tyres maintained grip.

 Anyway, to the tech: As said, the CX-5 has for the last couple of years basically had a driver-activated electronic rear differential lock, designed for the sorts of scenarios that can catch out the unwary.

 Basically, if you were to have somehow managed to get yourself in a place where  the diagonally opposite front and rear wheels began to spin uselessly, the standard differential will keep the wheels turning. You’re stuck.

 The OTRA allows it to figure out which of the rear wheels need traction, and applies power there.

 Off-road does all that, but ups the ante by also delivering accurate torque metering to individual wheels, and also feeding more power to the rear wheel set. It’s also altering the traction control, the transmission change points and the G-vectoring control, which primarily is a handling aide. When engaged, the setting also raises the engine’s idle to around 1000rpm; just enough so you can hear the difference. Oh, and the dash display alters to show a muddy-green background.

 Remember, in normal driving CX-5 is essentially a front-drive car, as the all-wheel-drive configures in an ‘as and when needed’ configuration whereby it only feeds the backs on detecting loss of grip. This, in turn enhances the traction potentials all the more. 

 It won’t be a save-all in particularly dire scenarios – if, for instance, the car was bogged deeply, it’s still going to be stuck. Mazda’s suggested usefulness scenarios are snow, mud … and slippery boat ramps. But it could well be useful in situations that aren’t quite as stressful, but have potential to go that way.

 All this is theoretical, because there was no opportunity on the drive day to try the setting out. It’s likely to be a capability enhancement that might just come in handy to just a few and only on only the odd occasion, but is better to have and not need than need and not have.

 The function operates via the same switch, down by the gear selector, that otherwise continues to access the street-tailored ‘sport’ and ‘normal’ driving modes and is now being called ‘Mi-drive’.

 The Activ model is the one that it’s primarily for. This new edition - joining the GLX, GSX, Limited, SR25T and Takami specs - has outdoorsy trim highlights inside (green accents) and out to emphasis its credibility.

 More importantly, at $50,990 it’s strategically placed to sell, being just $3000 dearer than the entry AWD and also $13,300 cheaper than the more powerful and plusher Takami.

 The flagship, in turn, has copped the biggest price increase of all over it predecessor, a $1995 lift, to now settle at $64,290.

 Interestingly, Mazda NZ doesn’t specifically cite the additional mode as being a contributor to that cost increase. Rather, they say, it’s more due to trim adjustments and the addition of a higher-grade stereo.

 In all there are now seven CX-5 choices, three in front-drive, all with six-speed auto and all petrol, but spanning three engines that have been unaltered by the update: Normally-aspirated 115kW/200Nm 2.0-litre and 140kW/252Nm 2.5-litre, plus a turbocharged 170kW/420Nm 2.5.

 The latter still restricts to Takami and the next-step down SP25T, which achieves the second biggest price alteration, a $1495 lift. With the others, the spend over immediate predecessors goes from $295 to $995.

 The 2022 revision is realistically this car’s big mid- or even slightly later in life refresh, as the current shape has been around for 2017.

 But Mazda isn’t being specific about that, with local product manager Tim Nalden reminding the brand is more about effecting continuous improvement. On those grounds, the car has enjoyed five updates in an as many years.

 Mazda has made global commitment to hybrid and battery technology and says it will offer five hybrids, five plug-in hybrids and three battery electric vehicles by 2025.

 Yet it’s not at all clear about when or even if the CX-5 will involve with any of the future tech. Conceivably, the most obvious and easiest adoption would be of a hybrid drivetrain, either in mild form (as per that in the CX-30 and MX-30) or a plug-in replenished system.

 If that is in the pipeline – and that’s a big ‘if’ as the car is likely past the halfway point, making it harder to recoup the investment for a costly new powertrain - then it would have to introduce soon. And there’s no sign of that happening.

 Whatever plans are in store are not being shared with Mazda locally, apparently. The line here is that nothing is known that can be passed on. What it apparent is that the CX-5 will continue to be sold alongside the new, rear-wheel-drive CX-60 landing in mid-2023.

 Another factor in all this is that Mazda has now released, but just for North America, the CX-50, another SUV that is basically just a bit bigger than CX-5. Its remit is to be more off off-seal suited than our car and it will also have a hybrid drivetrain in time.

 Mazda locally obviously has enjoyed good success with CX-5; a nameplate that has been around for a decade and claimed 28,000 national sales in that period presently achieves 34 percent of national volume. March was the type’s best month, with 378 registered.

 Regardless, that this car is getting on in age is surely beyond question. This is particularly obvious in the front-drive formats, particularly on the inside. An interior that was always less glam than with the more expensive cars is looking dated, mainly because it maintains a centre screen that’s old-school in size, presentation and functionality.

 Visually, the biggest noticeable changes with this MY2022 occur up front with a new 3D textured grille replacing the more traditional mesh of the outgoing model. It’s enhanced by a bolder ‘front wing’ that extends further from the bonnet than previously. The head- and tail-lights have also received a makeover.

 The only sheet metal to require replacement is the tailgate, but all the lower body plastic fixture alter. A new vaguely military colour, Zircon Sand, joins the palette: It’s the hue of the ‘CX5’ plated car pictured today.

 The interiors have also achieved minor revision; the top end cars have a new front seat, redesigned to offer better comfort, but the middle screen update that has occurred in the US has not yet come here, so it’s still not touch-adjustable. All actions still enable via Mazda’s familiar rotary dial in the centre console.

 Mazda gave the car more sound-proofing two years ago but apparently it needed even more; I drove two cars on the press day – a Takami and the GSX - and thought the impact on the first was more obvious than with the second.