2024 Mazda CX-5 2.0G 2WD High Review

The C-segment SUV market in Malaysia has always been a battleground for family users and young consumers, requiring a balance between daily commuting practicality and satisfying needs in terms of features and driving performance. The 2024 Mazda CX-5 2.0G 2WD High, as a popular contender in this segment, returns this time with more comprehensive safety features and an optimized driving experience. After getting the test drive car, we focused on testing its performance in urban commuting, highway cruising, and occasional suburban road conditions to see if it can continue the reputation of the CX-5 series.

In terms of its exterior, the new CX-5 still retains Mazda's family-style KODO design language, with its overall lines smooth and muscular. The front shield-shaped grille, complemented by chrome trim and sharp LED headlights on both sides, has a high level of recognition. The waistline of the body extends from the front fender to the rear, paired with 17-inch alloy wheels, giving it a balanced yet dynamic look. The horizontal design of the LED taillights at the rear echoes the front headlights, while the silver skid plate below the rear bumper adds a touch of rugged SUV style. For the lighting system, LED headlights, daytime running lights, and front and rear fog lights are all standard. The automatic headlight function quickly activates in tunnels or dim environments, providing good practicality.

Opening the door, the interior layout is simple and neat. The materials used include soft-touch surfaces covering the dashboard and door panels, offering a delicate tactile feel and creating a luxurious atmosphere with silver accents. The center console is equipped with a 7-inch full-color touchscreen. Although the size is not particularly large, it operates smoothly and supports the Sound Plus function. The six-speaker audio system delivers a sound quality that is slightly above average in its class. The instrument cluster is a 7-inch TFT LCD display, clearly showing information such as speed, RPM, fuel consumption, and driving assistance system status. In terms of features, the car includes keyless entry and start, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air conditioning vents, and a 220V/230V power socket. The front seats support 10-way power adjustment (for the driver) and 6-way power adjustment (for the passenger), with a wide range of adjustments to easily find a comfortable sitting position. The rear seats use a 40/20/40 split design, with a headrest for the middle position, ensuring a degree of comfort even with five passengers. The trunk has a capacity of 442 liters, sufficient for everyday items like strollers or suitcases, and can be further expanded by folding down the rear seats.

When it comes to space performance, the body measures 4550mm in length, 1840mm in width, and 1675mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2700mm. These dimensions position it at a mainstream level among C-segment SUVs. The front seating area provides ample room, with a passenger standing 175cm tall enjoying more than a fist's worth of space above the head and legs. The rear seating space is equally commendable, with about two fists' worth of legroom and one fist for headroom, ensuring long journeys are not claustrophobic. The design of the storage compartments is varied, and the door storage slots, compartment below the center console, and central armrest box can all accommodate small daily items, which adds to its practicality.

In terms of performance, the model is equipped with a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum power of 164PS and a maximum torque of 213N·m, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a front-wheel-drive system. The official 0-100km/h acceleration time is 9.1 seconds, with a combined fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km. In actual driving, the power output during start-up is smooth, and the throttle response is sharp. When driving in the city, gear shifting at low speeds is almost seamless. During medium to high-speed acceleration, pressing the throttle results in the gearbox swiftly downshifting, delivering linear power output that inspires confidence while overtaking. The vehicle offers two driving modes: Normal and Sport. In Sport mode, the throttle response becomes more sensitive, and the gearbox maintains higher RPMs for longer durations, suited for scenarios requiring rapid acceleration.

In terms of handling and chassis performance, the front suspension uses MacPherson independent suspension, while the rear suspension adopts multi-link independent suspension. The tuning is inclined towards comfort without compromising handling. The steering wheel offers precise steering with minimal slack; it is lightweight at low speeds and becomes stable at high speeds, giving a great sense of control. When dealing with bumps on urban roads, the suspension effectively filters out most of the small vibrations, and the car's body doesn’t bounce significantly when passing speed bumps. On suburban curves, the chassis offers good support, suppressing body roll well and remaining stable when cornering. The braking system adopts a front and rear ventilated disc design, with responsive braking, linear brake force, and stable body posture during emergency braking without obvious nose-diving.

In terms of safety configurations, this car performs very well, standardly equipped with 6 airbags (front dual airbags, front side airbags, front and rear head curtain airbags), ABS anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, ACC adaptive cruise control, 360-degree panoramic view, and front and rear parking sensors. In actual testing, the ACC adaptive cruise control system maintains a safe distance from the car ahead, accelerating or decelerating accordingly, reducing driver fatigue during highway cruising. The lane departure warning system alerts when the vehicle drifts out of its lane and slightly adjusts the steering wheel. The automatic emergency braking system intervenes to brake when encountering obstacles ahead, preventing collisions. These features greatly enhance driving safety.

As for ride comfort, noise control is well-executed. Tire and wind noise is relatively low during urban driving, and though wind noise increases slightly during highway cruising (at 120km/h), it does not affect normal conversations between passengers inside the car. Engine noise is barely audible when idling and is not overly loud during acceleration. The seats provide great wrapping and support, ensuring that long drives do not result in back pain or fatigue. Fuel consumption meets expectations; during urban driving, fuel consumption is about 8L/100km, while at highway cruising speeds, it can drop to below 6L/100km. With an average fuel consumption of about 7L/100km, this fuel economy is considered efficient for a 2.0L SUV.

Overall, the 2024 Mazda CX-5 2.0G 2WD High performs well in terms of appearance, interior, space, power, handling, and safety configurations. Compared to competitors in the same class, it has more comprehensive safety features, better ride comfort, and economical fuel consumption. Priced at RM 160,300, it falls within the moderate range among its peers, yet its overall cost-effectiveness is quite high. This car is suitable for families who value safety, comfort, and practicality, as well as younger consumers who pursue a quality driving experience. If you are looking for a balanced C-segment SUV, the 2024 Mazda CX-5 2.0G 2WD High is worth considering.