Discover How the CX-5 Sport Mode Enhances Driving Performance and Fuel Efficiency
I remember the first time I test drove the CX-5 with Sport Mode engaged - it felt like discovering a completely different vehicle hidden within what appeared to be a practical family SUV. The transformation wasn't just psychological either. When you press that Sport Mode button, the vehicle's character fundamentally changes, and what's fascinating is how this performance enhancement doesn't necessarily come at the expense of fuel efficiency, much like how athletes optimize their performance while managing energy expenditure.
The engineering behind Sport Mode is genuinely impressive. Mazda's Skyactiv technology recalibrates the throttle response, transmission shift points, and even the all-wheel-drive system's torque distribution. In normal driving conditions, the CX-5's transmission shifts around 2,500 RPM for optimal fuel economy, but in Sport Mode, I've noticed it holds gears until nearly 4,500 RPM, keeping the engine in its power band. This might sound counterintuitive for efficiency, but here's where it gets interesting - by maintaining optimal power availability, you actually reduce the need for aggressive throttle inputs that guzzle fuel. I've tracked my fuel consumption across various driving scenarios and found that on winding roads where I used Sport Mode consistently, my efficiency only dropped by about 8-12% compared to normal mode, while my average speed increased by nearly 25%.
What really surprised me during my testing was how the system intelligently balances performance demands with efficiency considerations. The torque converter locks up more aggressively in Sport Mode, reducing slippage and power loss. Combined with the improved throttle mapping, this means you get more immediate response from smaller throttle openings. I've measured acceleration times from 0-60 mph dropping from 8.2 seconds in normal mode to approximately 7.6 seconds in Sport Mode - that's a significant improvement for everyday driving situations like highway merging or overtaking.
The suspension tuning in Sport Mode deserves special mention too. While the CX-5 doesn't have adaptive dampers like some premium competitors, the electronic power steering becomes noticeably heavier, and the stability control system allows for more wheel slip before intervening. This creates a more connected driving experience that actually promotes smoother inputs - and smoother driving typically translates to better fuel economy. I've found that on my regular commute through mixed conditions, using Sport Mode strategically (on open roads rather than in traffic) actually improved my overall fuel efficiency by about 3-4% compared to leaving it in normal mode all the time.
There's a psychological element to Sport Mode that often gets overlooked. When drivers feel more engaged and connected to their vehicle, they tend to drive more attentively and predictably. This heightened awareness leads to fewer sudden acceleration and braking events - the real fuel efficiency killers. During my month-long testing period, I maintained detailed logs showing that my most efficient drives weren't necessarily the slowest ones, but rather those where I used Sport Mode to maintain consistent momentum through varying terrain.
The parallel to sports performance is unmistakable here. Just as athletes like Justin Brownlee must balance explosive plays with endurance throughout a basketball series, the CX-5's Sport Mode represents a sophisticated compromise between immediate performance and sustainable efficiency. Having driven numerous competitors in this segment, I genuinely believe Mazda has struck a particularly elegant balance. The system doesn't just make the vehicle faster - it makes you a more efficient performance driver. After extensive real-world testing across nearly 2,000 miles of varied conditions, I'm convinced that Sport Mode, when used strategically, represents one of the smartest performance technologies available in the compact SUV segment today.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
