The new Mazda5 seven-seat MPV is going on sale in Great Britain this month, starting from £17,695 going up to £21,495. This car is one of the most stylish choices in compact multi-activity vehicle segment, and is very well engineered as well. The 5 is also the first to feature Mazda’s distinctive Nagare design language, although it’s still very smiley!

2011 Mazda5 can be had with two engines, a 2.0-litre DISI petrol (150ps) and 1.8-litre petrol (115ps) and a 1.6 -litre turbo diesel (115ps), all with six-speed manual transmissions, delivering up to 54.3mpg and 138g/km CO₂ (combined cycle). The petrol unit also gets i-stop technology as standard.

It comes in three trim levels, TS, TS² and Sport, with standard equipments including six airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Traction Control System (TCS), two ISOFIX child seat anchor points, air-conditioning, cruise control, a six-speaker CD audio unit and alloy wheels across the range.

Getting in and out of the Mazda5 is now even easier. Its large, twin sliding rear doors – a ‘first in class’ feature unique for the Mazda5 in its sector – open to a wide 686mm and extend just 160mm beyond the bodywork when open, provide exceptional access in even the tightest spaces. Access is enhanced by a broad 130mm foot step and low 439mm step-up into the cabin. Perfect, in other words, for entering the Mazda5’s rear when carrying a child. Sport models come with power sliding doors as standard.

Its seven seats can be flipped and folded to create a variety of load-carrying configurations. The 112- litre loadbay in seven-seat mode can be enlarged to 426 litres in four-seat configuration, while folding all five rear seats flat creates a vast loadbay of 857 litres (floor to belt-height) or ceiling loadbay of 1,566 litres (floor to roof).

“Exciting new Nagare styling, a range of punchy and clean petrol and diesel engines and seven-seater versatility – the New Mazda5 really is the ideal car for today’s families,” says Mark Cameron, Sales Director for Mazda UK. “Its twin rear sliding doors – a real advantage for access in tight spaces – are complimented by our adaptable cabin layout that offers all the design intelligence you’d expect from a full seven-seat compact people carrier wearing a Mazda badge. And of course, this is a Mazda, so it will be an engaging and athletic drive, no matter who’s on board and what the destination.”