Mazda finally released hard numbers on the U.S.-spec 2013 Mazda CX-5 today at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show. Now we know that this future CR-V rival will come to market in February 2012 with a direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 150 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm on 87 octane.
This might give the impression that Mazda's first all-Skyactiv vehicle (featuring the full suite of the company's efficiency-enhancing engine, transmission and chassis technology) is a letdown in the power department -- seeing as how the 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv uses a lower-compression version (12:1 vs. 13:1) and still makes 155 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. (The European-spec CX-5 prototype we drove last summer was rated 162 hp/155 lb-ft with 14:1 compression on 91 octane fuel.)
But not so fast, man. Mazda engineers have tuned the 2.0-liter to give you a broader, flatter torque curve in the heavier CX-5 (3,208 pounds with front-drive and the new six-speed manual gearbox, 3,426 pounds with AWD and the six-speed automatic). They tell us there's 50 percent more torque from 2,500-3,500 rpm in the CX-5 versus the Mazda 3. As evidence, we offer a torque curve graph after the jump.
With that out of the way, note that you can have either the six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic on front-drive CX-5s, while all-wheel-drive models take the automatic only.
If Mazda's fuel economy estimates are on target, the 2013 CX-5 will tie with the much smaller Nissan Juke for the class lead among non-hybrid SUVs (though the 2013 Escape is sure to be in the running for that honor as well, as Ford is offering no fewer than three four-cylinder engines in that vehicle):
Mazda CX-5 6MT FWD: 26/33
Mazda CX-5 6AT FWD: 26/32
Mazda CX-5 6AT AWD: 25/30
Cargo volume is another area of intense competition among the compact crossovers, and here the CX-5 is in the ballpark with 34.1 cubic feet behind its second-row seat and 65.4 with the seats folded. A Toyota RAV4 provides 36.4/72.0, respectively.
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