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KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

The versatile Mazda 5 gets a nip and tuck to bring it into line with its new brethren

Mazda’s on a roll at the moment, indulging us with a flurry of new model launches: they’ve given us the chic 2 supermini, the sleek 6 family car and the butch CX-7 soft-roader. Entering 2008, a revised 5 MAV (or Multi Activity Vehicle for the uninitiated) aims to the keep the momentum going. Launched in 2005, the 5 was a hit with its sporty looks, unique twin sliding doors and dynamic character. It soon established itself as Mazda’s third best-selling model across Europe and has enjoyed year on year sales increases in the UK.

No surprise then that Mazda has resisted the urge to meddle with a winning formula. The headlines for this facelift are mildly refreshed looks, more refinement and a new automatic transmission option.

From the outside, not much appears to have changed. The 5 has always been a good looking car, so Mazda haven’t had to wield the knife too heavily. At the front there’s a new, bolder bumper, fresh lights and a re-profiled grille, while the rear gains a distinctive new set of two-tone tail lamps.

Hardly radical, but the 5 remains one of the best looking compact MPVs around. However, if showing the world your virility isn’t enough, you can butch things up with the Sports Appearance Pack that comes as standard with the range-topping Sport and Sport Nav trim levels. This brings a more aggressive front bumper (pleasingly reminiscent of the recently revealed RX-8 refresh), single bar grille, side skirts, tail spoiler and frosted LED tail lamps.

While good looks are important, especially when your rivals include the shapely Ford S-Max and Citroen C4 Picasso, cars like these live and die on their practicality. Here, the 5 has a killer USP: sliding doors on both sides of the car. Or rather, that’s not such a killer as it allows Rupert and Harry Junior to step safely onto the pavement whichever side of the road you’re on.
Ingeniously, they even open and slide effortlessly out of the way at the touch of a button (on the dash or key fob) or with the gentle tug of a handle. Handy, if you’re clutching baby in one arm and a bag of Sainsbury’s finest in the other. They also open wide enough to allow great access to the middle and back row of seats. The price of this convenience is rather steep at £1750, but as it comes as part of a luxury option package, you also get full leather and powerful xenon headlamps.

Once inside, the cabin itself is spacious, practical and very well thought out. Mazda makes much play of its karakuri seating system, but really it should be renamed origami as it allows you to fold and slide the seats to create a multitude of configurations. With all seven seats in situ boot space is predictably limited, but simply folding the final row of seats into the floor makes for a huge boot and still leaves ample space for five adults. Go the whole hog and fold the second row of seats flat and you’re left with a Transit rivalling 1,678 litre load area.

There are a total of 45 (count ‘em) storage compartments dotted around the cabin and under the seats plus the usual complement of cup holders and fold down picnic trays. The upgraded dash still features some hard plastics, but it’s unquestionably well put together and ergonomic. It does benefit from a few nice touches too such as the gloss black centre console, smart dials and iPod connectivity.

That’s the family catered for, but what about the driver? It’s no MX-5 and you never quite forget the bulk behind you, but it’s a surprisingly decent steer. Thanks to the inattentive driving of a Sicilian peasant on our test route, I can confirm it has direct steering, strong brakes and good body control. In less dramatic circumstances, those qualities make for a fun and agile drive.
In its more usual habitat of the school run or on the motorway it proves to be quiet and refined; Mazda has paid close attention to improving refinement, the pay off being a smooth ride and low levels of engine and road noise. For propulsion, there’s a choice 1.8 or 2.0 petrol engines or a 2.0 diesel in Standard (108bhp) or High Power (141bhp) guises. Both the higher powered petrol and diesel versions provide a decent turn of speed and mechanical refinement.

However, in this kind of car, it’s the diesel that makes most sense: it’s almost as quick as the petrol (10.2 versus 11 seconds to 60mph), but its 266lb ft of torque is almost double that of the petrol and you’ll be grateful for it when fully laden. Power is channelled through a slightly notchy 6-speed gearbox. Strangely there’s no automatic option, the new five-speed automatic being exclusive to the 2.0 petrol; Mazda cite limited demand, yet an automatic diesel would arguably make more sense, especially for the mother about town.

Prices start at just under £15k, with the most popular Sport model coming in at £17450 with petrol power or £18895 for the more desirable diesel, both equipped with the aforementioned body kit, alloys, cruise control and CD auto-changer. Only if you go for an optioned up top-end model, such as the £22k 2.0D Sport Nav model tested, do you have to think about looking at the even more capable and larger Ford S-Max.

Minor issues aside, the changes Mazda has made build on the strengths of the previous model and make the 5 an even more compelling choice against rivals like the Renault Scenic and Vauxhall Zafira. Its ultra versatile interior, good looks and surprising dynamism mean it could be every car you’ll ever need.

Verdict

FOR: Clever interior, good to drive and behold
AGAINST: Optimum 5 needs an automatic diesel
CONCLUSION: A Swiss army knife of a car

Spec

ENGINE: 2.0-litre
POWER: 146PS
PRICE: £22,000
RIVALS: Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zafira, Ford S-Max