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March 31, 2017

MIAS 2017: CX-5, CX-9, and MX-5 RF are Mazda's All-New Power Trio (w/ Specs)


UPDATE: The specs and more photos are below (4/2).

Mazda easily had one of the most attractive booths at the Manila International Auto Show this year. Keeping with the brand’s global show branding of midnight black multi-level flooring, each car stood out on its own, tall and proud, effortlessly calling out to passers-by. And trust us – you will stop and find yourself weaving through the display like you just want to take them all home.

In true Mazda fashion, the presentation opened with the signature KODO “Soul Of Motion” design language, which is the philosophy of infusing art and life (hence, soul) into vehicle design. It was depicted in all the stage elements – the display stance of the vehicles, the blend of colors, the slow, sensual unveiling, and even the movement of the host as she glided across the platforms. All this, to debut three new models – the all-new CX-9 premium 7-seater crossover, the latest CX-5 five-seater crossover, and of course, the MX-5 RF with the retractable hardtop.


The all-new CX-9 was designed to deliver an unparalleled driving experience, coupled with a quiet air of sophistication. It’s all in the details. Aesthetically, the all-new CX-9 is as sensual as ever; sporting the signature curves and energy of the KODO design. The interior boasts of details and materials that define premium, while maintaining riding comfort.


Under the hood is the groundbreaking SKYACTIV-G 2.5T in-line four-cylinder gasoline engine that is matched with the proven SKYACTIV-DRIVE six-speed automatic transmission. This combo works cohesively with the predictive (and smart) i-ACTIV AWD system to direct torque to the rear wheels only when necessary. The 2.5L engine is also fitted with Mazda’s unique Dynamic Pressure Turbo.

Apart from the engine, the CX-9 comes loaded with state-of-the-art convenience features including a 12-speaker Bose sound system, adaptive LED headlights, Active Driving Display, power front seats, power tailgate, a moonroof, and 20-inch rims shod with 255/55R20 tires. The price for this kind of luxury is P 2,780,000.


On the flipside, the all-new CX-5 is all about the drive – which brings us back to Mazda’s jinba-ittai principle of a human-centered design approach, wherein man meets machine in a fluid combination. The CX-5 is made to deliver stability and comfort for both the driver and passengers. This design is rooted in the G-Vectoring Control (GVC) feature, the first system under the new SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DYNAMICS technologies. This system controls all-around forces that act on the car while it is moving by adjusting torque in response to throttle, braking, and steering. This technology results in reduced sideways motions of the cabin, making the ride and drive smoother.



There are three variants to the all-new CX-5: the FWD Pro, powered by the 2.0L SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine; the AWD Sport, with a 2.5L SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine; and the AWD Sport Diesel, powered by the 2.2L SKYACTIV-D turbocharged diesel engine. All variants feature the SKYACTIV-DRIVE automatic transmission and i-STOP engine idling stop function. The predictive i-ACTIV AWD system is present in all AWD variants.

The all-new 2017 CX-5 starts at P 1,550,000 for the FWD Pro going up to P 1,850,000 for the CX-5 AWD Sport, and P 2,200,000 for the top-of-the-line 2.2 Skyactiv-D AWD.


Finally, the spotlight turns to the sexiest convertible, the Mazda MX-5 RF. The RF version of the well-loved Miata is the fourth-generation of its kind, now featuring a hardtop retractable roof and fastback styling. More than for security, it aims to create a unique and more premium open-top driving experience that more people will embrace and appreciate. The RF maintains the unmatched sports car curvature that has been the signature of the MX-5 since its original model, only with enhanced elements – such as the release of the beautiful almost-matte gunmetal color variant that makes it more appealing to a wider audience.


The MX-5 RF is composed of the standard front, middle, and rear sections, and the back window glass. With the top down, everything save for the rear roof section is stowed behind the seats. This creates a unique design feature that is not common among other hardtop convertible models; the driver gets to experience open-top driving, but with the secure feeling of being solidly inside the cabin.

Power comes solely from a 2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G engine and the only transmission of choice is a 6-speed automatic. The MX-5 RF starts at P 2,180,000 and tops out at P 2,250,000.

Words by Gen Tiu.

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31 comments:

  1. Best brand for people who love to drive and defy convention. Proud Mazda 3 2017 owner here.

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  2. Where's the CX-3? Another nice title would be "Mazda's All New Power Quadro" to include the CX-3.

    Good looking cars especially the Cx5 and Cx3 however when it comes to speed and power the lesser priced Diesel SUV's of 200HP x 500NM engine output leaves these zoom zoom broom broom toys inferior!

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    1. Those diesel SUV's are slow, rough, and dirty. Add to that the poor aerodynamics, and those SUV's are built to haul cargo, not for speed, so at high speeds they feel unstable. Compact sedans and Crossovers are more refined, and I would rather choose refinement than the additional 2 seats which I don't need.

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    2. Ito talagang gunggong na Autoactiv. Isiningit na naman yang bulok na colorado. Those are just figures. In actual, mabagal naman yan.

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    3. I've been there to tell you honestly, maybe others are not. Your Cx5 and even Honda's and Subaru crossovers did not even come close to the Duramax, whether on the express way and provincial highways so much more on the rough rugged roads. How can a smallish 140HP x 250NM crossovers overpower the 200HP x 500NM Italian Beast? Everyone knows that engines with high Horsepower and large Torque outputs are the one's designed to race. To my view, Crossover's are best suited for hot moms.

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    4. The CX5 diesel has 173hp and 420nm of torque. Yet despite the power difference, the CX5 weights significantly less than the midsize SUV's that weight more than 2 tons. In the highway, poor aerodynamics and the heavy curb weight will slow the more powerful engine. And think why those SUV's are not sold in Europe and the US, they won't pass the emissions tests there. Not everyone wants a big bulky rough SUV.

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  3. Just downright gorgeous! The CX5 has improved leaps & bounds from the previous model and has grown 10mm in length & in height but still cramped if compared to the Forester.

    At that price, expect sales to be slow for the CX5 most especially for the Diesel variant. The CX9 will surely undercut sales from the Explorer. It is without a doubt, better than the Explorer except maybe in interior space.

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    1. I sat down inside the forester and it leaves much to be desired compared to the CX-5's luxurious interior. The Forester's interior is quite family oriented and bland.

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    2. While i do agree that the interior of the Forester looks family oriented but then again, it's very spacious & versatile inside. Hence the term, Function over Form. Subaru never boasted of its design, they concentrate on Functionality, Great Performace & OUTSTANDING SAFETY FEATURES rated top 3 in the WORLD.

      We shall see once new model with Subaru Global Platform arrives.

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  4. OK yung design nag Mazda kaya lang yung officemate ko twice na towed yung Mazda 6 nya this year. Those damn istop and expensive and expensive batteries is embarrassing and making Mazda unreliable.

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    1. That sucks! That's indeed one of the drawbacks of the istop system, aside from the uncertain durability of the system itself given the chaotic traffic that we have. I wonder how expensive istop parts replacement will be once it bogs down.

      I'd rather choose the throttle altering systems of Subaru (Intelligent Mode), Honda (Econ Mode) & Toyota (Eco Mode).

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    2. I bet the battery's dead due to something wrong he's doing(Maybe he left a light, locked the doors unproperly, etc.) In my 2017 Mazda 3, it's been 4 months now and I'm inlove with the car, no problems so far with the battery nor the istop system. And the design is not the only great thing about Mazda, the drive as well. No non-luxury brand comes close to the driving experience behind the wheel of a Mazda vehicle, I've driven cars from Toyota, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Ford, etc, and Mazda offers the best driving experience. The downside though is less legroom and headroom but unless you're a six footer, it shouldn't be a problem.

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    3. Four months pa yung Mazda mo. After a year, kelangen na palitan yung battery dahil sa istop. P25k yun ang Japan but meron din local na P15k ata. Bilhin mo yung Japan hindi yung local kasi hindi magtagal ng isang taon local. Lagi mong suki yung towing service kung local yung bilhin mo.

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    4. No non-luxury brands comes close to the driving experience of a Mazda? I beg to disagree. Mazda will eat Subaru's dust!

      You've also forgotten about the Nissan GTR & 370z, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Ford Focus RS, Toyota FT-1 (under development). Can your beloved Mazda keep up againts these cars?

      And oh btw, the Mazda BT50 is lagging way behind in terms of sales. It has become an after thought.

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    5. The Subies are CVT equipped, only the WRX manual is fun to drive. Sitting in several subaru models(WRX, WRX STI, BRZ, Levorg), I felt the sporty steering wheel and the great driving position. But when I drove a CVT Impreza, it was disappointing from a brand that I thought made vehicles that are dynamic to drive. No CVT's for me again. I didn't include the Nissan GTR and the others you mentioned due to their price. I didn't indicate that if you pit for example the Mazda 2, 3, etc against the Vios, Altis, etc, the difference in driving feel is so significant. About the BT-50, I don't like it as well, it should be discontinued. And the Impreza 2.0 has a disappointing 0-100 speed of 11secs, while 8.9 for the Mazda 3, so who will eat the dust now?

      In the Mazda 3 club, they use the Amaron which costs 5900, and it works fine even with the istop system on, so no worries. And the original Panasonic battery is supposed to last 2 years.

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    6. I forgot to mention the BRZ as well. The only Subie that I might buy are the BRZ, WRX manual, and WRX STI. Subaru should ditch the CVT and come with a conventional AT or a DCT. It's a shame that the only Mazdas here that has a manual are the base Mazda 2 and the MX-5.

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    7. I guess you have the basic underpowered 1.5l Maxx model. If you have the 2.0l model, you will need the 25k battery. The regular 5900 is only applicable to the base non istop models.

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    8. I have the 2017 2.0 model, and the 5900 Amaron work well with the 2015 model based from feedback from Mazda 3 2015 owners.

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    9. Indian brand ang Amaron di ba? Good luck with that since some owners also complained on leaking batteries and could damage your P1.2M car and invalidate the warranty.

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    10. Pick the Subie Impreza if you need AWD, interior space, and a understated but elegant design, pick the Mazda 3 if you want style, flair, and a sporty drive. Also, Mazda's modern predictive AWD is better than Subie's outdated symmetrical AWD. Why? The Subie's AWD system waste fuel by running all wheel all the time while Mazda's AWD is adaptive, being more fuel efficient than the Subie by several km/l. Filipinos are just stuck to the brand they knew for a long time. But things change over time. To tell you the truth I had high expectations of the new Impreza, but when I saw it unveiled in the MIAS, I sat in it and was a little disappointed. Could you share your insights why Subaru>Mazda in your opinion?

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    11. We own a 2014 Mazda6 (pre-facelift model) in Soul Red. With already more than 3 years of ownership, I just love that car and still oogle at it (yes, I wish it had the facelift's sharper looks, but still a beautiful car from first release).

      It's such a joy to drive in or out of the city - while it won't win races, acceleration and handling is just superb for the segment. There is also something about the level of craftsmanship given the use of materials in the interior (yes, the infotainment system is lagging in the segment in terms of features) that when I enter another non-luxury vehicle, that other vehicle feels cheap (i.e. compare the interior of of the new Civic with the updated Mazda 3). It also helps that I still do double takes and admire it's beauty after 3 years of ownership ;)

      I'm not sure why your friend had troubles with his/ her Mazda6...might also have something to do with usage. For me, with more than 3 years of ownership down the line, I still don't have major reliability issues. Yes, I agree that 2-3 years down the line you'll have to replace those expensive EFB batteries for iStop/iEloop (there are cheaper alternatives, but still relatively expensive) - but if you love driving, the overall experience easily trumps the cost (i.e. I've already experienced replacing the tires for those 19in rims to manufacturer spec - extremely expensive at 5-digits per piece!). Yojin 3 is also extremely helpful - you just have to select a good dealer ;) (had small warranty claims that were easily approved).

      -Proud Mazda6 Owner

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    12. First of all, i never talked about the Impreza over the Mazda 3 in any of my previous comments, im stating Subaru as a whole is better than Mazda. But since you insist, all those pros & cons you stated between the two, you forgot to state the most valuable positive trait of the impreza. It has better safety features than your 3.

      And oh, it's the 2016 Japan Car of the Year.

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    13. Subaru > Mazda

      You're clearly hallucinating thinking that the AWD of Mazda is better than the S-AWD of Subaru. Subaru has constantly improved these system and will further up the ante once the new model under the Subaru Global Platform rolls out. The S-AWD of the Subaru combined with the flat boxer engine with a low center of gravity gives you superior traction & full control. And to educate you, it's the added weight of the S-AWD that makes Subaru less fuel efficient but not to the sacrifice of expensive and constant battery replacements and istop system repairs/replacements down the line.

      1. Subaru also has the X-Mode in its SUV's, giving you Hill Start Assist & Hill Descent Controls.
      2. It has more airbags than the Mazda as well.
      3. It's engine & tranny has been designed to collapse downwards and outwards to deflect the force away from the passengers for the dashboard not to collapse towards the passengers. Outstanding!
      4. It has latches in the lower portion of the doors making it possible for the passengers to push it open outwards in the event of a major side collision.
      5. Most of its cars has way better interior space than your Mazda that translates to comfort. Mazda produces cars w/ tight interior space, low headroom & low roof lines making you hit your head upon ingress & egress. Comfort is sacrificed whenever a buyer choose a Mazda. Let me give you a example, Camry > Mazda 6 in terms of comfort, space & luxury features: Camry has bigger interior space, has electrically adjustable rear seats, electrically adjustable rear sunshade, manual adjustable rear window sunshade, rear aircon & audio controls. All of these are far more usable than what? A sunroof? LOL!
      6. Subaru with its OUTSTANDING SAFETY FEATURES has been rated TOP 3 in the WORLD next to Volvo and Audi, making it the only non-luxury brand to be awarded that distinction. Loud and proud!

      Subaru has far less complicated fuel saving systems (Intelligent Mode) as compared to Mazda. Once the entire istop system bogs down, oh boy be prepared for an expensive replacement. That's aside from the frequent Amaron battery replacements or the very expensive factory spec'd Deep Cycle battery that's good for 1 1/2 - 2 yrs only.

      And lastly, the Subaru EYESIGHT (Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, etc..) that will give an even better Safety & peace of mind of drivers once the new model under the Subaru Global Platform rolls out which will then gives out better driving dynamics, comfort & safety. We shall see then.

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  5. Pros and cons of having a SKyactiv Mazda vehicle:

    Pros:
    -Excellent driving dynamics
    -Excellent handling
    -Feature and technology packed(Advanced technologyy)
    -Luxurious interior design and high quality materials
    -Sporty yet elegant exterior
    -Uncommon
    -Yojin 3
    -Price is reasonable
    -Fuel efficient
    -Japan CBU

    Cons:
    -Difficult to sell(No carnaps)
    -Parts are not as widely available
    -Original Panasonic battery is expensive(Though the Amaron battery can be a subsitute)
    -Interior space is not as generous as Toyota or Honda
    -Interior is prone to finger prints and the gloss black panels are prone to scratches(Interior is difficult to maintain spot free)

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  6. Hmm I find the outgoing CX5 (refereshed) model looks better than this one.

    I prefer the incoming honda crv for looks and space but the CVT just turns me off.

    That siad, its a choice between those two when we buy a new car next year. Maybe I'll let the missus decide. lol

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    1. The crv has a 9 speed automatic but I think its only with the diesel variant.

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  7. Does cx5's 2nd seat recline?

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  8. All new cx 5 is so damn hot

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  9. TOTL CX-3 or CX-5 Pro?

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