2013 Mazda CX-5

Actually, a better question is, "What isn't it?" Over an In-N-Out burger, my Mazda PR maven hammered home the fact that the Mazda CX-5 is not a Tribute, nor is it a new Ford Escape under the skin. In fact, not a single aspect of the CX-5 is shared with Ford's new crossover, a fact that Mazda engineers were adamant about during the model's U.S. debut at the Los Angeles auto show.

Instead, the 2013 CX-5 is Mazda's homegrown entry in the burgeoning compact-crossover class. It also marks the first appearance of the brand's "Kodo" design language, as well as the first vehicle to feature fully integrated Skyactiv technology.
What is Skyactiv? That's a better question, and one answered most ambiguously by CX-5 program manager Hideaki Tanaka, who claims it's "sustainable zoom-zoom." Translated, Skyactiv is a suite of engineering advances centered on making the chassis lighter and stiffer, then combining it with ultra-efficient gasoline and diesel powertrains.
Take, for example, the Skyactiv-G engine that will be standard on the 2013 CX-5: It's a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with direct injection, a 13.0:1 compression ratio, variable valve timing and an exotic (for a crossover, anyway) 4-2-1 exhaust header design. The result is an engine that is 10 percent lighter, 15 percent more fuel efficient and produces 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions than its predecessor.

About that diesel: In some markets, the CX-5 will get a 2.2-liter Skyactiv diesel four-cylinder engine with 170 hp. Mazda has confirmed that the engine will come to North America during the 2013 calendar year, but it hasn't said in which vehicle. Current rumors have it arriving under the hood of the company's next midsize sedan.

Six-speed Skyactiv manual and automatic transmissions have been designed for smoother and quicker shifts while helping to improve fuel efficiency, thanks to weight savings and friction reduction.

Thanks to an all-new chassis incorporating 61 percent high-tensile steel, Mazda engineers were able to cut weight in the structure while improving stiffness by 30 percent over the current structure underpinning the Mazda 3. Continuous high-strength ring structures are said to boost crashworthiness, also serving as suspension mounting points because of their inherent stiffness.

Finally, the 2013 CX-5 is the first vehicle to wear Mazda's new Kodo design language, which is said to translate to "the motion of living creatures." We're not sure a cheetah is going to confuse its mate with this particular compact crossover, but the CX-5 does have a sense of rear weight bias not unlike the Infiniti FX, and the overall effect is attractive if not groundbreaking.

2013 Mazda CX-5
On Sale: February
Base Price: $19,975 (est)
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter I4, 155 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 150 lb-ft torque @ 4,000 rpm; FWD/AWD, six-speed manual or automatic transmission
Curb Weight: 3,300 lb (est)
Fuel Economy: FWD: 26/33 mpg (manual); 26/32 mpg (automatic); AWD: 25/30 mpg (automatic only)