With new Mazda CX-5 coming, the current one is a deal worth a look

Mazda plans to unveil an all-new version of its popular CX-5 crossover later this month at the Los Angeles auto show. The company says the next CX-5 has been refined in every way – design, technology, size, driving dynamics.

2016.5 Mazda CX-5

In particular, the new-look CX-5 imparts a powerful combination of sophistication and strength. The teaser photo suggest something quite sleek.

So what do we make of the current and outgoing CX-5? Worth a look? A good deal? Oh, yes.

While the 2016.5 CX-5 GT ($34,895) I’ve just tested looks thoroughly familiar, it remains a nimble, user-friendly little rig with space inside for five adults, a big cargo area and one of the simpler infotainment interfaces sold by any car company in the world.

Better still, it’s a deal.

The driver’s view from inside the CX-5.

As www.carcostcanada.com reports, Mazda has $1,750 in incentive money on GT models that can be leased at a 0.0 per cent interest rate for three years. Mazda is also offering a host of other cash incentives, including a $900 sweetener that can be combined with 0.0 per cent financing for three years. And more.

Moreover, other versions of the CX-5 are on offer with cash incentives of $2,500 and more. When a new version of an existing model is on the way, the deals precede it.

The functions displayed on the infotainment screen are managed by a small controller (right).

But the current CX-5 should not be dismissed as a kind of bargain-bin leftover. Not at all.

This compact rig checks all the right boxes. It’s a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It’s also powerful (184 horsepower from its 2.5-litre four-cylinder) and snappy for a tall wagon.

The six-speed automatic gearbox delivers quick shifts and the all-wheel-drive system is all-weather useful without wrecking fuel economy (9.8 city litres/100 km, 7.9 hwy) using regular fuel.

Instrument display.

Sure, Mazda has something new planned for the CX-5. The old one, though, still competes very well – and with the current discounts, it’s more affordable than ever.