Report 1 21/10/26 Report 2 03/11/26
REPORT 2 (3rd November 2026)
Look what dropped in. If you follow the adventures of Driven’s extended-test fleet, you’ll recognise the grey Mazda CX-5 in these pictures: RNP876 was the car we ran from late-2025 through to mid-this-year, partly to to reacquaint ourselves with a popular Mazda and partly to calibrate ourselves for this year’s extended-test new-gen CX-5, the blue SP you see before you.
Our “old” car has been in residence at Mazda NZ since we gave it back, but it’s about to go to a new home. So we asked if we could bring it back to Driven one last time, to meet our new wheels.
It’s especially relevant because the previous GSX was the most popular model in Mazda NZ’s biggest-selling model range, the CX-5. And our new SP is the direct successor to the GSX.
It’s gone quite a bit upmarket, mind, despite being $300 cheaper. It’s easy to say that looking at a specification sheet, but it becomes mica-clear when you actually get the two side-by-side.
The new CX-5 looks a lot more premium, and it’s not just down to our car’s fancy Deep Crystal Blue Mica colour. The 115mm stretch in wheelbase has given the car more presence and while we kind of liked the kerb-adjacent liberty offered by the GSX’s 17-inch wheels, they do look a bit undernourished. The SP not only upsizes dramatically to 19-inch rims, they’re a new design… and really quite sparkly.
We like the fact the SP has retained matte wheel-arch trims and polished wheels. The CX-5 Homura and Takami have gloss-black trim and black wheels, which don’t suit the car as much. Controversial opinion, but we reckon the SP might now be the best-looking CX-5.
The previous CX-5 (which dates back to 2016, remember) was button-tastic, with the major instrumentation mostly analogue. We didn’t mind that at all, sans a bit of grappling with the Mazda Connect rotary infotainment controller.
But Mazda has done a complete 180 and the CX-5 dashboard is now virtually devoid of physical controls, with fully digital instruments. Everything’s in the touch screen, with a level of ergonomic minimalism that beats some new-energy EVs.
Know what? As we mulled on the launch drive earlier this year, the new layout is better. Not because touch-everything is better, but because Mazda has executed it well. The menus are easy to navigate and everything’s where you’d expect it to be.
Looking at the steering wheels? The SP's is also quite busy looking, but with smooth haptic controls that can serve as physical switches or swipey things (technical term). Again, they work really well despite the use of slightly rosk technology.
The overall look and feel of the SP cabin is generations ahead in terms of look and ambience. We could say “feel”, but the previous CX-5 was always notable for its interior quality.
Both models have “leatherette” based upholstery, but the SP’s addition of microsuede inserts gives it a real lift compared to the GSX’s flat trim. As does the dipped-in-chocloate colour scheme which we love, but it’s not compulsory: you can have plain black, too.
The increase in wheelbase has transformed the rear seat of the CX-5. It’s truly spacious and has been noted by several back-seat occupants, many of whom have little interest in cars.
The SP also gains some of the stuff that the GSX probaably should have featured as a mainstream family car in 2026: heated seats/steering wheel and a power tailgate.
What hasn’t changed a whole lot is the powertrain. It’s still a 2.5-litre petrol with 6-speed automatic and AWD, albeit recalibrated all-round. The larger CX-5 SP actually has less power than the GSX, down from 140kW/252Nm to 132kW/242Nm, in the interests of fuel economy. That remains to be seen as our test-time goes on, but both old and new feel like they need more torque or more gears… or both. It’s the real weak point of what’s otherwise a truly classy and sophisticated family SUV. Roll on the hybrid.
What has changed is the chassis. The previous CX-5 was the sportiest medium-SUV around in terms of ride and handling. The new one is still a title contender, although the steering is lighter and the chassis more compliant. The SP doesn’t change direction with quite the alacrity of the GSX, but it transitions between corners with more communication. It feels more grown-up for sure... although you still wouldn’t call the ride soft.
So farewell once and for all now, RNP876. To whom it may concern, there might be a snazzy blue one-careful-owner new-gen CX-5 up for grabs at some stage. But not right now.
REPORT 1 (21st October 2026)
We have a new extended-review car, but we're also back in very familiar territory... in more ways than one.
You might remember we ran a 2nd-generation (then-current, of course) Mazda CX-5 GSX from late-2025 through to May this year. The model was getting towards the end of its life then, but that was really the impetus for having it.
The imminent arrival of the new 3rd-gen CX-5 made it an interesting exercise because the car has always had such a loyal Kiwi following. Even at the end of its run, the previous CX-5 was Mazda New Zealand's most important model, accounting for 40% of sales. The new one is expected to achieve the same.
While it's not top-tier in terms of overall SUV sales, the CX-5 inspires fierce loyalty in its owners and many will be transitioning from the previous model to this one. So we thought we'd join in on that experience.
Oh yeah, the car. Last time, we chose the mid-grade GSX because it was the most popular variant of Mazda NZ's most popular model. We've done the same thing with the new one, except the model names have been realigned and the GSX-equivalent is now called the SP. This $49,990 model fits in above the Touring, below the Homura and Takami. And our new SP is actually $300 cheaper than the previous GSX.
RWE522 is actually the very same vehicle we drove on Mazda NZ's media launch programme for CX-5 and 6e back in August, so we're already kinda familiar with this particular car. And already responsible for a few of the kilometres on the clock.
What are we hoping to discover on our second CX-5 journey? We've covered the ICE issue previously (hybrid a year away, CX-6e BEV alternative on the way this year), so it's a given that if you're buying a new CX-5, you've accepted it's petrol only. The revised 2.5-litre is slightly less powerful but more economical than the previous model, so we're keen to find out what that means in terms of real-world fuel use. We'll commute and we'll road-trip.
We're also keen to get to grips with Mazda's complete about-face on cabin ergonomics. It's gone from one of the most button-centric models on the market (we loved that in our old GSX, by the way) to more extreme minimalism than many Chinese new energy vehicles. The only physical controls on the dashboard are for demisting and the hazard flashers, and even the steering wheel functions have haptic touch surfaces.
Whether this proves an excellent interpretation of this touch-trend or an ergonomic nightmare remains to be seen. Although the launch-drive experience and some road-test time with the flagship Takami has been pretty positive.
What is the Mazda CX-5?
Still Mazda's core SUV and its most popular model in NZ. This is the third generation of the CX-5 since 2012.
Why are we running it?
To experience Mazda's remimagining of a very familiar formula. It keeps the family look, but CX-5 has stepped up in size and infotainment technology.