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" Of late, the small crossover segment is as hot as extra-spicy wasabi, and Mazda is aiming to plunge its chopsticks deep into the genre with the new CX-5\u2014a tidy 4-door crossover whose exterior dimensions split the difference between the smaller Volkswagen Tiguan and its own larger CX-7. It&amp;#039;s a far sexier alternative to the Mazda5, the mini-minivan with sliding doors, and Mazda believes it&amp;#039;s just the ticket for those currently driving a Mazda3 who are quite literally looking to expand. So Mazda invited a slew of us to Iceland to drive four CX-5 prototypes decked out in the finest hound&amp;#039;s-tooth checkered camouflage\u2014two with the new SkyActiv 2.0-liter gasoline engine and two with the SkyActiv 2.2-liter twin-turbo diesel. SkyActiv, incidentally, is the new umbrella term for a host of new Mazda technologies including the all-new engines, chassis and transmissions. The CX-5 will be available in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations; in the latter, a Haldex electrohydraulic clutch pack apportions torque primarily to the front axle under most conditions.            But driving prototypes is a bit like ordering the Three Ingredient Soup at the local House of Szechwan (if I may briefly change countries to extend the food metaphor)...it&amp;#039;s a great overall flavor, but as far as what the U.S. market will get, you&amp;#039;re never quite sure of the exact composition. For instance, will we get the brilliant diesel engine? Mazda says yes, but won&amp;#039;t say when or in what vehicle, although this CX-5 would be a logical guess. And i-Stop, Mazda&amp;#039;s term for its auto start/stop system? Maybe; too early to tell. But we did discern that the new CX-5 handles in a precise and agile way in our road loop that ran around (and under, via a tunnel that plunges 541 ft. below sea level) the Hvalfj\u00F6rdur (&amp;quot;Whale Fjord&amp;quot;) that&amp;#039;s about an hour north of Iceland&amp;#039;s capital, Reykjav\u00EDk.   A Tale of Two Compression Ratios   Compression ratios are key to efficiency, and Mazda&amp;#039;s new SkyActiv engines boast both the highest and lowest currently offered for a production car. Allow me to explain: The 163-bhp 2.0-liter gasoline inline-4 has an off-the-charts 14.0:1 ratio (13.0:1 for North America owing to lower-octane regular fuel), made possible by direct injection, a 4-2-1 header (whose long tubes reduce exhaust reversion and keep the combustion chambers as cool as possible), variable timing on both intake and exhaust cams, and volcano-shaped piston tops to mitigate knock. Internal friction is reduced by 30 percent, overall weight is reduced 10 percent and there&amp;#039;s approximately 15 percent more torque at low to mid rpm. It&amp;#039;ll need every lb.-ft. it can muster, as it&amp;#039;ll go up against 2.4- and 2.5-liter powerplants found in competitors such as the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4. That said, it&amp;#039;s an eager-revving, smooth gem of an engine, responsive and wholly adequate for the mission at hand. It&amp;#039;s also expected to offer class-leading fuel economy, which means highway mileage in the low 30s. But...            The SkyActiv diesel, a 2.2-liter twin-turbo inline-4 with 173 bhp and a monstrous 310 lb.-ft. of peak torque, is the real sweetheart. Its 14.0:1 compression is the lowest in diesel-dom, allowing the use of a lightweight, steel-sleeved aluminum block and commensurately lighter pistons, con rods and crank. A slight turbo whoosh is all that&amp;#039;s heard; lag is minimal and midrange punch is duly impressive. And with a high-for-a-diesel redline of 5150 rpm and a powerband that merely withers (instead of falling off a cliff) at that engine speed, there&amp;#039;s a pretty broad range of grunt for passing without having to change gears.   Speaking of which, there are two new 6-speeds to complement the engines. The manual is lighter, more compact and has a cable shift linkage whose compact throws and light effort approach Miata levels of snick-snickability. The automatic uses a much smaller torque converter than usual and has extended lock-up periods for a fuel economy improvement of as much as 7 percent. The sequential shift function, commanded from the center console-mounted selector, is among the quickest-responding to inputs, and will hold gears at redline without automatically upshifting.   Nimble Chassis   The CX-5 uses MacPherson struts in front and a multilink setup in back, bolted to an all-new Mazda-exclusive platform that uses a very high percentage of high-strength steel\u201461 percent\u2014with optimized thicknesses to increase strength and save weight where necessary. The result is a lightweight, rigid structure that allows for softer spring/shock rates while still retaining precision. There are other tweaks as well: increased caster for the front suspension for better straight-line stability; and a higher mounting point for the rear suspension&amp;#039;s trailing arms, which provides both better ride quality and some anti-lift effect under braking. Floorpan elements of the unibody&amp;#039;s exoskeleton are now straighter, with fewer kinks and bends. And much effort has been expended to make sure that control inputs are met with linear, no-surprises response, from throttle tip-in ( remapped E-throttle and bottom-hinged accelerator pedal) to market-specific tuning of the electric-assist power steering.            It all works quite nicely, we found, as we sub- and circumnavigated the fjord on heavily crowned narrow roads. Ride is firm enough to be sporting, but high-speed shock valving soaks up the little cracks with suppleness. Low-speed rebound valving nicely checks the chassis when going over Iceland&amp;#039;s equivalent of the N\u00FCrburgring&amp;#039;s Flugplatz, too. Steering weights up naturally with increasing lock, and mid-corner bump steer is pretty much nonexistent, so a single input at corner entry is all that&amp;#039;s needed, even at velocities that get the attention of nearby Icelandic horses and sheep.   New Look   Although past Mazdas like the 3 have always been happy to see us (with a smiley-face grille that&amp;#039;d do Jim Carrey proud), we&amp;#039;re happy to see it go. The new Mazdas reflect the Kodo-Soul of Motion theme inspired by the &amp;quot;strength, beauty and tension found in the instantaneous movement seen in animals,&amp;quot; says the press release. The new grille is a soft-cornered pentagon, headlights cant downward in a convincing stare, and arched rocker panels play off lower body-side sculpting not unlike that of BMW&amp;#039;s 1 Series. Signature high-set horizontal taillights and a broad shoulder line complete the look. Inside, the somewhat somber, ordinary instrument cluster might be deemed too conservative for those moving up from a Mazda3 with its dramatic gauge shrouds, but the new 3-spoke steering wheel is fantastic, fat-rimmed and sculpted for your thumbs. Seats are equally good, with proper lumbar support, a long-enough lower cushion to provide thigh support for taller drivers, and generous side bolstering extending high up the seatback. HVAC knobs have satisfying detents and displays are easily read, and you&amp;#039;ve got the option of controlling the infotainment screen either through hard buttons around its perimeter, or a joystick on the center console. Head room abounds in every seating position, and the back seat, with its 40/20/40 folding capability, is long-distance comfortable for 6-footers.            The CX-5 goes on sale in spring of 2012 at an as-yet-undisclosed price. Let&amp;#039;s hope we&amp;#039;ll be able to fill it with Diesel No. 2. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a17615/2013-mazda-cx-5-prototype/>