The new Mazda 5 Multi Activity Vehicle (MAV) has scooped the MPV of the Year title awarded by 4×4 and MPV Driver magazine just two months since its launch in the UK.
In October’s issue of 4×4 and MPV Driver
magazine, The Mazda 5 was praised for its fresh styling and build quality: “The style is unquestionably ‘Mazda’ and all the better for it…It’s built to an impressively high standard, too. The driving position is spot-on, visibility good and the gearchange brilliant – all far from guaranteed in an MPV.
“It has sliding doors, but there are no heavy, tediously slow electric contraptions here – they’re so light and slide back in such a well-oiled manner you don’t need motors. They reveal a wide opening that’s instantly accessible and they shut again with the push of a fingertip rather than a slam. All MPVs should have them.”
Bob Murray Editor, 4×4 and MPV Driver added: “Mazda 5 is the complete compact MPV: it looks good, drives well, is beautifully put together, fully-featured and great value for money. It goes straight to the top of the class.”
5-star rating
It was not the only good news for Mazda as its new MPV also scored 5-stars, in the latest European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) testing. Achieving an overall 33 points to make it one of the best in its class at protecting occupants in nearly all impact scenarios.
Despite the Mazda 5 being the only C-MAV to offer the convenience of two sliding doors in this segment, it achieved the highest possible score in side impact safety – 18 out of a possible 18 points – proving that sliding doors are not only more convenient, but also at least as safe as hinged doors.
On the front off-set crash test, Mazda 5 was awarded 13 points, or 84 per cent of the total possible points, with two additional points awarded for the vehicle’s seatbelt reminder system.
Mazda have sold over 300 units since the official launch on July 22nd 2005.