Top 6 safety features on the Mazda CX-5

By Chad Luckhoff

We round up 6 of the best safety features found on the Mazda CX-5 and dive into what they do to help make your journey safer.

 

The Mazda CX-5 has proven to be a winning recipe for Mazda, helping elevate sales figures and providing a reliable and safe companion for thousands across South Africa. Much of this success is down to the high specification level from the factory that doesn't require the buyer to spend anything extra to get a comprehensive complement of safety equipment.

The only change comes in the specific grades available from Mazda, the CX-5 has four grades to choose from: Active, Dynamic, Individual and Akera. Individual and Akera models benefit from additional driver assistance systems.

We're choosing 5 of the best safety features to showcase here. For a full list of the safety equipment and the grades in which they appear, click here: Mazda CX-5 Trims And Their Standard Safety Features

 

1. Airbags

Airbags have been proven to help minimise injury in the event of an accident when used in conjunction with other safety systems such as seatbelts. All Mazda CX-5 models come with a comprehensive list of airbags. There are two up front for the driver and passenger, side airbags for both front passengers and curtain airbags to protect the heads of the occupants up front. 

 

2. Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)

Working in conjunction with the Anti-lock Brake System and Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Emergency Brake Assist measures the speed at which the brake pedal is depressed and adjusts the braking force accordingly. A quick application of the brakes will result in the EBA amplifying the force applied on the brake rotors to help slow the car down faster, deducing that there must be an emergency that requires additional brake force.

 

3. Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)

BSM helps prevent accidents caused by drivers pulling into the path of other road users that are positioned in their blind spots. All cars have blind spots, the area that isn't covered by the wing mirror and that is rearwards of your peripheral vision. Blind Spot Monitoring alerts the driver to the presence of other vehicles in this area so that they know not to switch lanes just yet.

 

4. Smart City Brake Support (SCBS)

SCBS uses the windscreen-mounted camera to monitor the distance of the vehicle in front of the CX-5 and calculate whether or not the gap is decreasing at a rapid rate or not. If it senses that the gap is closing too quickly it will prepare the brakes to assist in stopping the CX-5 to help avoid or minimise the damage. If there is no input from the driver, the CX-5 can brake automatically as well. This works up to speeds of approximately 30km/h and works in reverse as well.

 

5. Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Similar to the Blind Spot monitoring, upper range models have LDW that alerts the driver to the fact that they are straying from the lane they are in. An audible rumble or beep is heard through the speakers on the side of the car that the vehicle is veering to, allowing the driver to correct the steering and keep the vehicle between the lines and out of the way of oncoming traffic.

 

6. Lane Keep Assist (LKA)

Further bolstering the services offered by the BSM and LDW, Lane Keep Assist helps guide the car back between the lines by applying a mild steering force to keep the vehicle straight and out of the lane alongside them. This is deactivated when the indicator is used to change lanes, detecting that the crossing of the line is deliberate.

 

Watch our review of the Mazda CX-5 here: