fashion health & beauty
Island Life - April/May 2011
TEST DRIVEN
ON THE ISLAND
By Peter White
Mazda MPV is a 5-star choice
The new Mazda 5 is a spacious and well
There’s plenty of room
refined MPV that demonstrates that you
for five adults, but the
can still combine fun with practicality.
rear seats are perhaps
My first impressions of the Mazda 5
best suited to only small
were good. The bodywork is sleek and
children. Leave the
the grille and headlights are similar to
chairs folded and the
those seen on the Mazda 3, while the
load area is impressive
rear lights are horizontal, giving the
at 426 litres, reducing
rear a wider look.
to 112 litres with all the
The 1.6 diesel model that I test drove
seats up.
courtesy of Northwood Mazda, replaces
The cabin is neat and
the previous 2.0-litre version and pumps
dials are located in
out 113bhp, with lower emissions than
silver cowlings, while
its predecessor.
the trip computer
It averages 54.3mpg and emits 138g/
and radio information
km of CO2, impressive figures for any
appear in a window at the base of the
MPV.
windscreen.
A new notable feature is sliding rear
The steering is light, which is ideal for
doors, which is quite rare in the current
Island roads and navigating around
market of multi-purpose vehicles. And
town, and the gear change is smooth.
the doors on the model I drove were
In terms of safety, the new Mazda 5 has
motorised to ease the strain even more!
electronic stability programme, traction
Inside, there are three rows of seats,
control, anti-lock brakes and Isofix child
with two in the middle. But when
seat mounting points, while airbags
another seat is needed, a narrower
protect all three rows of passengers.
centre seat folds out. The centre
There are three trim levels; TS, TS2
seat can be stowed away to create a
and Sport, with 16-inch alloy wheels,
walk-through passage to the rearmost
electric windows, electric heated door
seats, or to carry long items of luggage.
mirrors, air-conditioning, steering
72
wheel-mounted audio controls and a
cd/radio with six speakers.
Overall, the Mazda 5 is impressive and
is sure to be a hit with those looking
for a vehicle that combines style with
the need for space and practicality.
Please call Northwood Mazda on 01983
296031.
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