THE new Mazda CX-8 sport utility vehicle (SUV) was officially launched last week, although pricing is yet to be detailed out.
The large SUV is slotted between the beloved CX-5 and the CX-9, and is said to be the extension of the former.
Mazda Malaysia said the locally assembled CX-8 was estimated to be around 15 to 20 per cent more expensive than the equivalent CX-5.
We had a brief drive of the CX-8 right after the launch and as a first impression, I must say the luxurious and spacious SUV could be an unnatural alternative to one of the popular people movers, the Toyota Alphard or the Toyota Vellfire.
Before I explain why, a little bit of nerdy specs and figures for those of you who are not aware of the CX-8.
There are four variants on offer, and it can be had in front-wheel drive as well as all-wheel drive options.
As for the powerplant, there’s SkyActiv-G 2.5-litre petrol engine making 192hp and 258Nm of torque, and SkyActiv-D 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 188hp and 450Nm of torque.
Transmission is a sole six-speed automatic SkyActiv Drive unit, along with G-Vectoring Control (GVC).
Yup that’s right, it’s not the GVC Plus as fitted to the Mazda 3.
The GVC is not the only thing that’s not from the latest generation, the Mazda Connect infotainment system with a 7.7-inch touchscreen is also from one generation before.
The latest version (as fitted to the new Mazda3) has a larger screen and not a touchscreen unit as it can only be operated via the rotating knob on the centre console.
Regardless, the system still supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and reversing camera.
Exterior features for the CX-8 include LED setups for all headlights, daytime running lights (DRL), fog lights, and tail lights.
There’s also shark fin antenna, roof rail (2.2 AWD High only), roof spoiler, twin exhaust outlets and19-inch wheels.
Similar to the rest of the current Mazda lineup, the new CX-8 wears the brand’s KODO design language, which gives it a strong horizontal line on the front face, sharp headlights design and road presence.
THE DRIVE
Some of you might say that Mazda SUVs all look too similar but to me, the design works fine.
KODO body language aside, the new CX-8 has great exterior proportions where the sizes of the headlights and tail lights, wheels, body curves are all nicely-balanced.
The cabin of the new CX-8 is top notch in terms of space, comfort and quality The thinking behind the cabin design is to enable a person of any size to find an ideal driving position in the front row, be spacious and comfortable for large adults in the second row and still accommodate occupants up to 170cm height in the third row.
Speaking of third row, Mazda has optimised the cabin ingress and egress to offer the ease of access to the second and third row.
There’s two options for the seating configuration of the CX-8, which is a seven-seater (2-3-2) and a six-seater (2-2-2).
The six-seater utilises an exceptionally comfortable captain’s seat for the second row, and this is where I found the car to be a logical alternative to the Alphard/Vellfire.
Think about it, you can now have the same level of space, comfort and pace as your Vellphard shuttle fleet, but with an unconventional SUV styling and higher ground clearance.
Okay ground clearance might not be a sheer advantage, but at least the occupants are able to travel at a fairly higher ride height.
For VIP? Opt for the Jet Black or Sonic Gray body paint and there you go.
The unit that we drove was the seven-seater version with fabric seats and a full three-seater bench on the second row, but even these seats are already distinctly comfortable.
The six-seater with captain seats upholstered in Deep Red leather is even more comfortable, when I test sat on it in the display car.
Since the drive was about one hour and a half with two driver changes, I managed to sit in the second row seat.
With plush materials on the seat coupled to a suspension setup that absorbs all road imperfections, the CX-8 is easily a car that you would love to be in for long distance travel.
Behind the wheel, the Jinba Ittai philosophy is still there, giving the driver a sense of control and high level of feel to the car.
Despite the size and weight, Mazda said the driving aspect of the CX-8 was tailored so that the drivers could precisely position the car wherever he or she wanted it to go.
And I can clearly attest to this as the car does not feel overwhelmingly big on regular federal and town roads around the Kulim Hi-Tech Park.
But it still rides beautifully smooth while channelling reasonable amount of feedback to the driver. It is not as firm as the smaller CX-5, and not as floaty as the Mercedes E-Class for example, just somewhere in between.
The 2.4-litre petrol engine on our test unit gives out a fine melodious note when pushed towards the second half of the rev range, and the engine felt happy and eager to do so since the peak power and torque were plotted there.
The steering is lovely, too. Nicely weighted and typical of a Mazda, it has good feedback to it.
In terms of safety, the new Mazda CX-8 is standard-equipped with six airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brake distribution, emergency brake assist, traction control system, dynamic stability control, emergency stop signal, hill launch assist and seat belt reminders for all seats.
Several variants are topped with more advanced features. including adaptive front lighting system, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning system, lane keep assist system, driver attention alert and smart city brake support.
All CX-8 models come with a five-year warranty and free maintenance coverage for five years or 100,000km, whichever comes first.