Long term: Mazda CX-5 2.2-litre Sport Nav Skyactiv-d

After switching cars and testing a Suzuki Swift for a couple of weeks, getting back into the CX-5 highlighted how good the 2.2-litre Skyactiv diesel is.

Yes, of course, it’s unfair to compare a 1.2-litre petrol  engine with a 175bhp diesel, but driving them back to back accentuated the torque and power the CX-5 has.

At a time when many other manufacturers are downsizing their engines, a 2.2-litre might sound a bit like Mazda isn’t moving with consumer demands.

However, that’s where Skyactiv comes in.

These new efficiency technologies are key for the brand and will be included on every new model to help lower emissions and improve fuel economy. CO2 emissions of 136g/km and fuel efficiency climbing up towards 50mpg is pretty good for such a powerful engine.

As the CX-5 spends more time with the AM team, some of its practical features are shining through too.

The rear seats fold down really easily to create a flat floor, so owners get a huge load space to work with.

It passed the “can it take a drum kit?” test.

It even managed to get most of the drum kit in the boot without having to put the back seats down.

Sport Nav trim also includes a pretty intuitive navigation system.

This was included as standard for the launch period and it’s one of the best navigation systems available.

It’s easy to use, can take full postcodes (can you believe some still can’t?) and it will suggest alternative routes if there are traffic jams on the way to your destination.

It’s often fair to say that customers can avoid having to fork out for an expensive factory-fit sat-nav by just getting a portable, but this system is worth recommending and something sales executives can feel is worth adding as an optional extra.

The CX-5 is winning awards too, picking up the What Car? Best Buy in the under £25,000 category, though not the model tested here.

The diesel was even voted Car of the Year in Japan and they hate diesel, so it must be something special.