First drive: Mazda CX-5 diesel

The diesel Skyactiv-D version of Mazda's CX-7 replacement deserves its "premium" tag.
Mazda has introduced its newest diesel engine to Australia in the new CX-5 SUV.
The 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel commands a $3000 price premium over the petrol engine also available in the CX-5 and is only available with the four-wheel-drive system, meaning price of entry kicks off at $36,540, plus on-road costs.
Rather than introduce the Skyactiv-D engine, as it is known, as a single, separate model to the petrol-powered Skyactiv-G introduced earlier this year, Mazda has blurred the line between the two so that the casual observer won't pick the difference until they get to the bowser.

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Unlike the diesel CX-7 (which the CX-5 will replace), which wore a "CD" badge, the petrol- and diesel-powered cars look exactly the same, although there's no base model Maxx in the diesel CX-5 lineup.
All models share the same twin-exhaust layout, and under the bonnet, both petrol and diesel models wear the sky-blue engine cover denoting the vehicle is part of Mazda's radical overhaul of its vehicle range designed to shed weight and eke out fuel economy without resorting to expensive technology.
Mazda is marketing the 2.2-litre twin-scroll four-cylinder turbo diesel engine as the premium drivetrain for its CX-5, mated exclusively to its mid-range Maxx Sport and range-topping Grand Touring models, and only to its all-wheel-drive platform.
It trumps its CX-7 replacement - and its main rival, the Subaru Outback - by being mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic gearbox, with no manual version available.
Priced from $36,540 for the mid-spec Maxx Sport and $43,200 in diesel-only GT form, the diesel carries a $3000 premium over the 2.0-litre petrol version.
It's not the only number that trumps the petrol version of the CX-5.
While it produces only 113kW of power and 198Nm of torque in all-wheel-drive form, the diesel pumps out an impressive 129kW and a huge 420Nm.
The slightly higher power figure for the diesel engine may not look like much, but it's that torque figure - with most of it available just off idle - that sets the two apart.
The all-new engine is designed to be lighter than typically heavy diesel engines.
It's just a little grumbly off idle, though, when you give the throttle a decent shove, but otherwise most owners will never notice it's a diesel until the engine gains a traditional, although surprisingly muted, growl higher in the rev range.
They won't notice it at the traffic lights, either. Stomp the throttle, and the Skyactiv-D launches the CX-5 away from a standing start with no noticeable hesitation - unless the engine is temporarily stopped by the clever "i-stop" stop-start system that saves fuel while the car isn't moving - and builds speed quickly.
Once rolling, the six-speed automatic transmission is clever enough to hold gears on steep climbs, letting revs fall below 1200rpm and making the most of the deep well of pulling power before jumping down a cog, or snatching a lower gear on a long, steep descent to provide some engine braking.
There are no steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the gearbox, even for the top-of-the-line Grand Touring, which is a shame as the engine is free-revving and quite playful for a diesel. Instead, there's a Tiptronic-style shift on the gear lever that will follow the driver's instructions, even dipping into the 5000rpm-plus rev limit when pushed.
The ride is good, with the Grand Touring absorbing the worst of the road surfaces calmly and without too much road roar and protest despite the diesel's Holden Commodore-rivalling kerb weight and the low-profile 19-inch hoops fitted as standard kit to our test car. The steering has decent feel around town, although loads up a bit strangely to become heavy and then light while cornering on fast, sweeping bends.
Even on gravel the CX-5 held its line well, only occasionally pushing the rear end wide as the all-wheel-drive system fights with the loose surface. When it did, the soft-roader's electronic safety aids stepped in calmly, and well before things got ugly.
The other diesel trump card is fuel economy.
The CX-5 Skyactiv-G petrol engine officially uses 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres in front-wheel-drive form, with the all-paw architecture adding another 0.5L/100km to the bottom line.
By comparison, the diesel's official figure is just 5.7L/100km, giving it a clear advantage at the fuel pump.
We didn't come anywhere near that figure on our run through the foothills of the Great Dividing Range in central Victoria, averaging in the mid 8.0L/100km mark with a mix of drivers behind the wheel.