The Mazda CX-5 would be an unlikely candidate for tuning in our minds. It’s not exactly a firecracker when it comes to styling or performance, but then again, it offers plenty of opportunities for improvement, as well as having plenty of space for accessories.
Mazda have brought three CX-5 concepts to this year’s SEMA show, which include the CX-5 180, the CX-5 Dempsey and CX-5 Urban.
The Mazda CX-5 180 concept is inspired by the adventurer’s paradise that is Southern California. From the beach to the desert, from the high altitudes to the low lands, the CX-5 180 is designed for an active lifestyle. The 180′s blue exterior paint is covered in a topographical map of Southern California’s Big Bear Lake and Point Dume. The standard car’s chrome grille trim has been replaced with matte red and a roof rack has been added. The same red makes its way onto select spokes of the 20-inch black chrome alloy wheels, which are wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric tyres. Inside, the cabin features aqua blue leather upholstery with contrasting white inserts on the steering wheel, door panels and seats.
The CX-5 Dempesy concept was inspired by actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey’s competitive passions of motorsports and cycling. “Sleek, sporty and stylishly dressed” is how Mazda describe their Dempsey concept, which is themed in glossy grays, matte blacks and bright red highlights. Accessories include a Specialized Bicycle S-Works road bike and a Thule Atlantis rooftop cargo box. The vehicle sits on 20-inch black chrome alloy wheels encased in Michelin Latitude Sport all-season tyres. Under the bonnet is Mazda’s SkyActiv-D 2.2-litre diesel engine with 129 kW and 420 Nm of torque.
Finally, the CX-5 Urban concept is the ‘baddest’ of them all. Not just simply a matte black vehicle wrap, the Urban concept features a custom paint process that highlights the CX-5′s ‘Kodo: Soul of Motion’ design lines at the slightest hint of light, when multi-dimensional shadows are cast on the car’s sheetmetal. The paintwork is further detailed by ‘Ore facets’ that appear as thin pinstripes on matte paint surfaces, as accents on the matte black wheels, as well as a precision feature in the headlamps and shading on the five-point front grille. Flared wheel arches add muscle and are filled with 22-inch Ace Alloy Scorpio matte black wheels and Nitto NT420s all-season tyres. The CX-5 Urban also features a Racing Beat dual exhaust.
