2019 Mazda CX-5 pricing and specs: Turbo petrol flagship arrives

Mazda Australia has confirmed details for the 2019 CX-5 range, which now offers a turbocharged petrol option, along with enhanced equipment levels across the board.

UPDATE: Pricing has been revealed, with rises between $480 and $1080 across the board. Check out the table at the bottom of the story for full details.

Australia's best-selling medium SUV brings a range of specification upgrades across the line-up for the new model year, including standard fitment of Mazda's full active safety tech suite. That means adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam, lane-keep assist, and driver fatigue monitor are included, rather than the existing autonomous emergency braking and automatic headlights.

The top-spec GT and Akera variants are now offered with the SkyActiv-G 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine from the larger CX-9 and mid-sized Mazda 6, putting out 170kW of power and 420Nm of torque. It commands a $2500 premium on the atmo petrol engine. Both the naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre twin-turbo diesel are still available.

All versions get the company's new G-Vectoring Plus system, which has an added 'direct yaw movement control' function to help the steering return to the straight-ahead position "for more stable behaviour at high speeds".

Inside, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been adopted across the range, as part of the MZD Connect infotainment system.

The cabin's array of rotary dials and switches have been given a new design for a more upmarket look and feel (how very Bentley), while the air-conditioning controls have been relocated to a single panel on the centre stack.

Akera models get Dark Russet nappa leather upholstery (brown), with real wood trim inserts, a frameless rear-view mirror, ventilated front seats, a 7.0-inch TFT driver's instrument display, LED ambient cabin lighting, and a special alloy wheel finish – this specification is quite similar to the luxe "Exclusive Mode" special-edition variant announced for Japan last month.

Under the skin, Mazda says it has made "further refinements" to the suspension and steering systems to "achieve more linear behaviour and a higher-quality ride feel".

According to the company's local arm, the mid-tier Maxx Sport is expected to account for the majority of sales (34 per cent), followed by the second-from-top GT (21.5 per cent) and flagship Akera (20 per cent).

In terms of more specific sales breakdowns, the atmo 2.5-litre petrol engine is expected to account for 48 per cent of sales in the first year, with the vast majority of vehicles sold to feature an automatic transmission (98 per cent) and all-wheel drive (72 per cent).

That hasn't stopped Mazda from offering a comprehensive choice of models, though. All up there are 14 different variants available in Australia across five trim levels, four engines and two drivetrains.

Click here for the full image gallery.

CX-5 Maxx:

2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine (115kW/200Nm, FWD) OR 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine (140kW/252Nm, AWD)

CX-5 Maxx Sport adds:

CX-5 Touring adds:

CX-5 GT adds:

CX-5 Akera adds:

2019 Mazda CX-5 pricing

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