Mazda CX-5: Cabin, safety updates coming soon

Mazda once had a stranglehold on the mid-sized SUV segment, until the redesigned Toyota RAV4 stole its thunder. Now, it’s making some updates to keep its CX-5 fresh.

Revealed this month in the USA, the CX-5 will pick up a new 10.25-inch screen running the company’s new Mazda Connect infotainment system debuted in the new Mazda 3, naturally including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

A spokesperson from Mazda Australia said the “updates will be available to us and we are currently working on finalising local model lineup and specification”.

The updates revealed in the USA also include reverse functionality for the CX-5’s autonomous emergency braking and a driver attention alert, plus a three-year trial of Mazda Connected Services, which goes beyond the suite of connected functionality available here.

American owners are able to remotely unlock, lock, start and switch off their vehicles via the MyMazda app, while they also have access to an in-car wi-fi hotspot.

The new screen is notably bigger than that of the current CX-5 (above), which uses an 8.0-inch touchscreen running the older MZD-Connect system. That’s still quite a decent size, but some companies (e.g. Kia) have been shifting to 10.25-inch units.

For the moment, the CX-5 will have the biggest unit in its cohort, even outshining the Volkswagen Tiguan’s available 9.2-inch system. The RAV4’s measures 8.0 inches, as does the that of the Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Forester, new Ford Escape and most versions of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

The MG HS comes closest to the Mazda with a 10.1-inch screen, though the Mazda’s is longer and thinner.

As on other Mazda models with the new hardware, it’s expected to lose its touchscreen functionality and be controllable solely via the rotary dial.