2026 Mazda CX-5 Escalates a Sibling Rivalry
First glance: This guy is finally no longer "moderate"
To be honest, when I first saw the 2026 CX-5, my heart skipped a beat-when did this product learn to wear a suit? The round, harmless "vegetable cart" in the past has completely disappeared, replaced by a murderous front face. The wider and lower front, the sharper LED headlights, and the oversized size air intake grille are like saying,"Why are you looking at me? I'm staring at you!" A friend around me asked me: "Is this still CX-5?" I snorted: "No, this is the evolved 'leopard head'." But to be honest, the side lines retain the elegant proportions of Mazda, the muscles are a little more exaggerated than before, and the tail has a little more charm of the CX-90. Looking from a distance, it stands next to the CX-50, and it actually has a bit more "I am the eldest brother" aura-the smell of gunpowder between brothers suddenly rises up.
Sit in: Luxury overflows, but a little temper
The moment I pulled open the door, I almost thought I was in the wrong car-is this interior really a compact SUV? Nappa leather, suede mix and match, and brushed metal trim panels. From the door panel to the center console, everything you can touch is soft. Mazda has moved the decoration style of the CX-90 directly? The seat is very wrapped, and you don't want to get off when you sit on it. But! Although this 12.3-inch central control screen is not too clear for its clarity, it still does not support touch!! You have to use knobs and buttons to control it. For a person who is used to operating a mobile phone, it was torture to use it for the first time. I once clicked crazily on the screen but didn't respond... Later I remembered: Oh, this is Mazda's "anti-human persistence". And the back space? Well... it's a little bit more spacious than the CX-50, but it's still a little less powerful than the Honda CR-V. Forget it, who cares about the back row when buying a Mazda? The front row is heaven.
Driving on the road: Straight six dreams shattered? No, self-sucking is still stubborn
I originally thought that the 2026 model would be replaced with the legendary inline six-cylinder engine, but Mazda disappointed me-there was no **(at least not in the U.S. market). The basic version is still the 2.5-liter four-cylinder self-priming machine, plus a 48V light mix, and 187 horsepower. Don't roll your eyes in a hurry. The smoothness and sound waves of this engine at high speeds are simply a clear stream. When the accelerator is pressed on, the power response is extremely fast, unlike the turbine that has to wait for a beat. The 6AT gearbox is still an old partner. Although it is a 6-speed gearbox, the shifting logic is so smart that you forget the number of gears it has. Chassis tuning is simply Mazda's magic-extremely small cornering roll, precise steering, and driving more like a car than its opponents. By the way, there is another surprise: now it comes standard with KPC (Torque Vector Guidance System), which can actively brake the inner wheels in corners. The feeling of "turning without pushing your head" is so cool that you can smile unconsciously. Raise your mouth.
Fight with brothers: CX-5 vs CX-50, who won?
The most interesting thing is that this change is obviously aimed at his own brother CX-50. The CX-50 is more hard-core and has a strong off-road aura; while the new CX-5 chooses an "elegant + sporty" path. The texture of the interior is completely better than that of the CX-50 and it is more dexterous to drive, but the space and practicality are still lost a little. If you have to choose one? I would choose the CX-5 because it makes me feel like it is "a man-made car for me" rather than "a machine made for a family of five." Finally, the price has not increased too much. The low-end version is the same as the CX-50, but the high-end version of the stereo and interior... Tsk, you have to pay more. However, Mazda fans have never cared about the price/performance ratio. What they care about is the few times their hearts beat when they get in the car. The fiercer the competition between brothers, the more benefits it will be for us car fans, right?
