I recently had a short spell with the top-spec 2.2DE AWD Akera, which altered my perception of this mid-size SUV.Offering a raised ride height, impressive looks as a result of a recent mid-life facelift, and a reputation for reliability and practicality, the CX-5 has really taken the fight to the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson and Kia’s Sportage.

My press unit, being the Akera, was fully specified with the likes of the GVC torque vectoring,  sunroof, Bose sound system, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Smart City Brake Support, Adaptive LED headlights, Driver Attention Alert, Head-Up Display, satellite navigation and of course, all-wheel drive.

All-wheel drive and diesel simply makes sense and in the case of the CX-5, the 2.2-litre motor produces 140kW/450Nm while providing a reasonable 185mm of ground clearance, meaning that mild off-road scenarios can be dealt with in relative ease. Throughout my 500km-or-so trip with the oil burning CX-5, I averaged a relatively disappointing 8.4-litres/100km, well off the 5.8-litres/100km claim.

Aside from the poor consumption, the rest of my CX-5 experience was nothing short of impressive with the diesel engine and six-speed automatic gearbox making it a far more pleasurable car to drive.

The quality of the materials used inside, the general ergonomics, practicality and functionality of the infotainments system in particular make it’s a very easy vehicle to live with on a daily basis.

That being said, the Akera is certainly not cheap and if you can forego the AWD system and some of the semi-autonomous driving functionality, there’s a CX-5 2.2DE Active for over R100 000 less and petrol-powered derivatives in the more desirable Dynamic trim for over R140 000 less.

Pricing

CX-5 2.2DE AWD Akera R579 900