Mazda has updated its bread-and-butter CX-5 range and even thrown in some forced induction for its flagship trim; making it the most powerful in its class. You can still get yours with a small engine or without a turbo from a range that spans five trims; all of which are locally-assembled at the Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah.

Pricing is as follows:
2.0 2WD Mid- RM137,379.20
2.0 2WD High – RM154,379.20
2.5 2WD High - RM167,770.40
2.2D 2WD High – RM172,532.80
2.5 Turbo 4WD High – RM181,770.40
(OTR w/out insurance)

No surprise that everyone’s falling over themselves about the CX-5 turbo and rightly so because it’s a proper monster. The 2.5 Turbo 4WD High is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol inline-four with a turbo attached, making it good for 228hp and 420Nm from just 2,000rpm. That’s more horsepower but less torque than the 2.2-litre turbodiesel CX-5; which we’ll get to in a bit.

Positioned at the more affordable end of the range is the 2.0 2WD Mid and 2.0 2WD High. Both are powered by a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol inline-four with 162hp and 213Nm of torque.

As for the 2.2-litre turbodiesel, it sits just below the turbo model and makes 178hp with 450Nm of torque. With the update, the 2.2-litre turbodiesel with all-wheel drive has been dropped, so only the front wheels are driven with the diesel.

A six-speed SkyActiv Drive automatic is the only transmission of choice but you do get the latest G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) as standard.

The equipment level is pretty generous across the range. Automatic LED headlights, LED combi taillights and LED fog lights. LED DRLs are reserved for everything above the 2.0-litre trims though. Further standard kit include e-parking brake + brake hold, multi-function steering wheel, a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto (updated version) and Apple CarPlay, Commander Control and powered front seats with 10-way adjustability for the driver and six for the passenger (except 2.0 2WD Mid).

The smallest engine of the lot also loses keyless entry, powered tailgate and larger wheels; riding on 17-inch alloys. The top three ride on larger 19-inch alloys.

Inside, things are always a little more premium as we’ve come to expect from Mazda. First seen on the new Mazda 3, the instrument cluster in the CX-5 follows suit with revised graphics. For the 2.0-litre models, the central TFT LCD display is a smaller 4.6-inch unit and the rest of the range gets a larger 7.0-inch unit.

A very convenient 360-degree surround view is standard on all except the entry-level model. An impressive heads-up display with sharp graphics is reserved for both variants with turbos.

Safety isn’t something they skim on so standard across the range is six airbags, stability control, traction control, ABS, EBD, BA, hill-start assist and Isofix mounting points.

Additional safety gear such as blind-spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert and Smart City Brake (autonomous braking) are available on the 2.0 2WD High onwards. The 2.5 2WD High gets Driver Attention Alert as well.

As for the top two trims with the turbos, you can also find lane departure warning and lane-keep assist.

All trims come with a five-year/100,000km warranty with free scheduled maintenance for the duration of the warranty. Eight colours are available; the signature Soul Crystal Red, Machine Grey, Snowflake White Pearl, Jet Black, Deep Crystal Blue, Sonic Silver, Arctic White and Meteor Grey. The first three shades are premium offerings and will cost an extra RM3,000. We think the red is definitely worth it though.