The all-new CX-5 is Mazda's answer to the Toyota RAV4 and VW Tiguan and not only is it Mazda's first real shot at this market (the first was with a rebadged Ford Escape) but it's also the first Mazda to embrace what the company calls Skyactiv technology - that's their typo, not ours.
Skyactiv is basically a whole bunch of innovations that make the engines and transmissions more efficient and the body and chassis lighter all in the aim of reducing the car's carbon footprint.
On the engine front, European models will be offered with either a 2-litre petrol or 2.2 turbodiesel engine. Mazda hasn't disclosed the power outputs yet but expect them to be powerful for their respective sizes given the new technology. They'll be efficient too, with both engines boasting record-breaking compression ratios of 14:1. In fact, Mazda is aiming for the diesel model to fall below the 120g/km CO2 threshold.
The exterior design, which should qualify as handsome to most eyes, also breaks new ground for Mazda - this is the first production model to use the brand's new 'Kodo' design language first seen on the Shinari concept.
According to our contact at Mazda, the CX-5 is likely to come to South Africa but no dates can be given at this stage. The SUV will make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, so expect more pictures and information to surface around that time.