Tribute/CX-5: The crossover ends its current run after the 2006 model year. The Tribute will return in spring 2007, renamed the 2008 CX-5. It will be developed on a re-engineered version of the platform that the Tribute shares with the Ford Escape and the Mercury Mariner.

Mazda says its CX-5 small SUV should be in showrooms in February, priced about the same as the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape: roughly $20,000 to $30,000.


It'll offer a choice of six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission, both gearboxes built on the same assembly line in Japan, which is unusual.

It weighs 300 to 500 pounds less than the Mazda CX-7, which has been the brand's smallest SUV.

A diesel engine is under development, due in the U.S. in 15 to 18 months, but Mazda wouldn't say which U.S. models would offer it.

Hoping to keep things simple and friendly, CX-5 will offer a setup based on one by TomTom, a supplier of aftermarket navis. Chrysler has adopted a system by TomTom rival Garmin, to offer a comfortable, familiar and easy to use look and feel in some recent models.


Mazda has a lot riding on this new small crossover.

It's new to the segment, and to break in, Mazda takes a different path when it comes to saving gas.

The CX-5 is going to get Mazda's fuel-saving Skyactiv technology, a suite of technologies to save gas. One of the key ways is through a higher compression ratio, which allows gas to burn more forcefully, pushing the piston down harder to maximize power.

The crossover will produce 155 horsepower, yet will have an expected government gas mileage rating of 26 in the city, 32 on the highway in the front-wheel drive version.

To make an impact in a crowded segment, Mazda tried to give the new CX-5 a startling design inspired by nature. "With its Skyactiv underpinnings and best-in-class fuel economy, CX-5 proves that fun needn't be sacrificed for fuel efficiency," Jim O'Sullivan, CEO of Mazda North America, said in a statement.

Nope, this isn’t a mid-life refresh or fancy new trim level, this is the second-generation Mazda CX-5. As in, it’s all-new, inside and out. We know, evolutionary seems like a bit of an understatement here.

But then who are we to question Mazda, a company with one of the freshest and universally excellent ranges currently on the market? Given one in four of all its sales are now CX-5s (it’s shifted 1.4m of them in the last four years), sticking to its guns seems entirely reasonable.

The previous-generation CX-5 was the first Mazda to shepherd in the ‘Kodo’ design language and SKYACTIV powertrains, and this new model very much continues that theme. At the front skinnier headlights are propped up by chrome strips running across the bottom of the wider grille, while the profile and rear are refreshingly simple and clutter free – a design language Mazda calls “refined toughness.”

There are some important tweaks to the dimensions, though, such as wider front and rear tracks and a centre of gravity 10mm lower than before. The A-pillar has been shoved back by 35mm, too, throwing the visual mass more towards the rear, Jaguar F-Pace style, and improving forward visibility for the driver.

On the inside, Mazda has resisted the temptation to inflate cabin space, so you get the same 505-litre boot as its predecessor, and perfectly adequate rear passenger room. Where Mazda’s spent its money is on improving comfort with 10 per cent less wind, road and engine noise at a steady 60mph, two-stage reclining rear seats and a new G-Vectoring Control system that divvies up torque based on steering angle to reduce body roll. A 16 per cent improvement in torsional rigidity should make it a smidge sharper to drive, too.

Naturally, digital displays play a central role on the redesigned interior. A new head-up display, 4.6-inch screen on the right hand side of the instrument cluster and a central satnav and infotainment screen now placed higher on the dash are all designed to deliver maximum information, with minimum eye movements.

Exact UK specs are yet to be finalised, but engine choices will include the SKYACTIV-D 2.2-litre diesel and the defiantly naturally-aspirated SKYACTIV 2.0-litre petrol, both available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed auto, and the option of four-wheel drive.

So what’s the verdict readers? A yawn-inducing update, or a case of Mazda listening closely to its customers? You decide.