2013 Mazda CX-5 bravely takes on CR-V, Escape

— -- Mazda is about to join a fight so vicious you have to question the automaker's sanity.

Not only that, but the Japanese car company has decided to start from scratch, not only creating a new vehicle, but also basing it on the newly developed and challenging technology blueprint that Mazda calls Skyactiv.

The result is Mazda's 2013 CX-5, a small crossover SUV due in February to battle entrenched favorites Ford Escape and Honda CR-V, both of which are getting overhauls and therefore, presumably, will be even more popular.

Perhaps Mazda also could try standing on its head, humming Ride of the Valkyries while hitting fastballs off Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. Just to keep things interesting.

Hoist one to game Mazda for heroic effort.

But "tsk" a bit sadly to note that the CX-5, a technical stunner, isn't likely to be a home run among small SUVs.

Short take: Handles great; needs more power.

But there are many aspects that make CX-5 worth considering.

•Where does it fit? Mazda swears it will continue to sell the CX-7, also a small SUV, even though the CX-5 represents a major investment to fit it to the Skyactiv template.

•What's Skyactiv? It's Mazda's name for a suite of features intended to boost fuel economy while enhancing driving fun and safety.

CX-5 is first to get the whole nine yards.

The Skyactive gas engine uses a very high compression ratio, which results in more power, but includes some magic around the edges to make it run OK on regular fuel.

The six-speed Skyactiv Drive automatic uses a small torque converter for the smooth starts that you don't get from increasingly popular dry-clutch automatics. Once rolling, the gearbox locks into mechanical-drive mode. That eliminates the drag and power loss caused by a conventional fluid-filled torque converter that remains in play most of the time.

Skyactiv materials and construction techniques also cut weight at least 220 pounds for each new model. There's no previous CX-5, so Mazda notes that it is at least that much lighter than the CX-7.

•What makes it handle so sweetly? Skyactiv's remarkable attention to chassis details, changing suspension pivot points and tire angles from what would have been the normal layout on a small SUV, and reconfiguring the underbody layout.

Worked well. The preproduction, all-wheel-drive CX-5 tested around the Los Angeles area, including a spirited run along the snaking, hilly Angeles Crest Highway, was composed under hard acceleration and deceleration, danced through tight, fast corners with little body lean, steered quite well, and delivered its modest amount of power smoothly and with enthusiasm.

Caution: The ride's a bit jiggly over some surfaces. The driver, being entertained by the vehicle, overlooks it, but passengers might not.

•What's wrong with the engine? Despite the efficiencies that should come from Skyactiv design, the 2-liter four-banger is rated just 155 horsepower, or a hefty 30 hp less than rival CR-V, on sale Dec. 15.

The 2013 Escape, coming early next year, also trumps it, offering an expected 168 hp in the base engine, 173 hp in the optional 1.6-liter turbocharged engine and a bracing 237 hp from the 2-liter turbo.

CX-5 is likely to prove more fuel-efficient, but enough so to sacrifice the joy and safety that power brings?

To be fair, modest drivers in flat terrain carrying few passengers won't mind CX-5's engine tuning. But spirited drivers (that is, typical Mazda fans) will bristle. So will those trying to make their way uphill with several passengers and luggage.

Details seem well-handled, for example:

•Back seat has three folding sections. The narrow center portion can fold flat while the outboard sections stay upright. That's salvation for parents who need two car seats. They can be left installed, but long cargo still can be carried.

•Built-in navigation is to be a TomTom-powered system, familiar to the many drivers who use that brand's aftermarket navi. It's likely to be simpler to operate than the complicated systems most automakers still use.

All considered, CX-5 seems a really well-done machine that cries for another 20 or even 40 hp.

•What? Small, four-door, five-passenger, crossover SUV, new to the lineup. Available with front-wheel or four-wheel drive, manual or automatic transmission.

•When? Due on sale in February.

•Where? Built at Hiroshima, Japan.

•Why? Hot segment.

•How much? Prices not announced; Mazda says typical should be about $24,000.

•Who'll buy? 25- to 35-year-olds, beginning good careers, often starting families replacing Mazda3 sedans and hatchbacks, and Boomers, up to about 60.

•What makes it go? New 2-liter, four-cylinder rated 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 150 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000. Six-speed manual available only with front-drive, or six-speed automatic.

•How big? Slightly longer, wider, taller than Honda CR-V. CX-5 is 179.3 inches long, 72.4 in. wide, 67.3 in. tall, on 106.3-in. wheelbase. Weighs 3,208 to 3,4326 lbs. Rated to carry 886 to 1,000 lbs., depending on model, equipment. Rated to tow 2,000 lbs.

Passenger space: 103.8 cubic feet. Cargo: 34.1 cu. ft. behind rear seat, 65.4 cu. ft. when seat's folded. Turning diameter: 36.7 ft.

•How thirsty? Not yet rated. Mazda forecasts 26 miles per gallon in town, 33 for FWD models, 25/30 for AWD.

Trip computer in preproduction AWD automatic tester registered 26.1 mpg (3.83 gallons per 100 miles) in brisk flog along Angeles Crest Highway in mountains near Los Angeles. Burns regular, holds 14.8 gallons FWD, 15.3 AWD.

•Overall: Handles great, lacks power.