The original CX-5 was introduced way back in 2012, and with global sales of over 1.5 million it now accounts for roughly 25% of Mazda’s global sales volume, with more than 32,000 current-generation CX-5s having been sold in the UK; no mean feat.

Being 5 years old, it’s no surprise then that the wise folk at Mazda have been busy working on a new and improved version, and with …..

The last time I drove a CX-5 was March 2014 when I meandered casually around the B roads of Harrogate.  I remember thinking that it was quiet, comfortable and fun to drive. I also recall being a little unkind to its looks, ‘not a pretty car’, I think I wrote. But that was then, and fast forward to April 2015 and low and behold, Mazda have parked one outside Muddy Towers for me to play with for a week……

Every so often, manufacturers arrange driving days so that journo’s can mess around… ahem, I mean drive, and properly assess their range of vehicles, and this particular Driving Day was arranged by Mazda up in t’hills of Halifax, Yorkshire.  Being a Lancashire lad I grabbed my passport and made sure that all my jabs were up to date and set off towards the Pennines……