We video test the 2018 Mazda CX-8

Mazda’s new CX-8 SUV is designed to blur the boundaries between work and play, being attractive to the fleet and private buyer alike – delivering a vehicle whose attributes and features are appreciated by both.

The CX-8 is also something of a brave new step for Mazda, showcasing as it does, the attributes of SKYACTIV diesel – the seven-seater’s only engine of choice –with 2.2-litre displacement and twin turbocharging tech delivering 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque to contend with its 2000kg braked trailer capability.

But there is so much more.

Under the all-encompassing SKYACTIV umbrella, which wraps up all aspects of the vehicle, from chassis dynamics, through to engine efficiency, transmission and drivetrain refinement and of course, safety above all else, Mazda has imbued the CX-8 with the intangible quality of Jitta Inbae – the car and the driver (actually horse and rider, but you get the point) in a vehicle where you simply don’t expect it to be.

The road holding is quite unlike anything else in the Mazda range. The closest would be the legendary MX-5 which is universally regarded as one of the best handling cars on the planet. Along comes the CX-8 with comparable handling and control and the convenience of all that space and sophistication.

Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE is also a high point with the CX-8. There are many safety systems available to manufacturers today, but in presenting as many as possible, there are some systems which don’t do exactly as they should in many cases. The CX-8 brings it all together in a perfect package with every element an intrinsic part of the whole.

Available in two grades, the CX-8 is going to take some time to settle into its niche, but early adopters will be laughing while the rest of the world catches up.

For more information go to https://www.mazda.co.nz/model/cx-8/fwd/22l-diesel-gsx