There are three engine options and two gearboxes to choose from.

A 2.0-litre petrol unit in the Mazda CX-5 gets 163bhp and pulling power is rated at 210Nm. The petrol engine pulls strongly and, although somewhat vocal when worked hard, it does the job very nicely indeed. It boasts CO2 emissions of just 139g/km. The petrol-engine car will get to 62mph in 9.2 seconds, and go on to a top speed of 124mph.

Two gearboxes

You can have either a six-speed manual, which is a veritable joy to operate thanks to Mazda borrowing design ideas from the MX-5, or a six-speed automatic with the diesel engines. This offers drivers the ability to shift gears manually, albeit somewhat slower than a twin clutch gearbox, via the conventionally-located gear lever. You can also specify front- or all-wheel-drive.

Pair of outputs for diesel engine

The diesel engine, a twin-turbocharged 2.2-litre unit, can be had in two power outputs. The lower-powered version generates 148bhp and 380Nm of pulling power, and it can be ordered in either two- or four-wheel drive. It’s likely to be the most popular engine as in two-wheel-drive manual configuration it emits just 119g/km. This means low road tax and company car tax costs. It will go from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds, and will reach a top speed of 126mph.

The automatic version takes 10 seconds and will reach 123mph. There’s also a 173bhp model available in four-wheel-drive specification only. With this version the sprint to 62mph is dispatched in a brisk 8.8 seconds, while the top speed is 129mph. Both diesel engines drive extremely well, with torque available from very low revs and an even spread of power right to the 5,200rpm red line.

Parkers recommends

We’d head for the 148bhp 2.2 turbodiesel with manual gearbox and front-wheel drive to benefit from the low emissions and excellent fuel economy.

Mazda has gone to great lengths to ensure the CX-5 handles well. The first thing worth mentioning is that this is a light car compared to the competition. The Japanese firm has used some extremely lightweight steel to build the bodyshell, resulting in the car tipping the scales at just 1,425kg when fitted with the petrol engine. This really shows in the agility the car demonstrates.

If you ignore the higher-than-normal driving position it doesn’t even feel much like an off-roader. Turn-in is sharp, with the electronic steering assisting in a progressive fashion that may not provide the ultimate in driver feedback but certainly inspires confidence through corners. On four-wheel-drive models there’s a lot of grip available, and even on the two-wheel drive versions the fat 225-profile tyres mean you’re never left in a situation where traction is an issue.

There’s an element of body-roll, but nothing too over-the-top. Being a family-orientated car, with softer suspension, that’s pretty much par for the course.