MAYBE IT’S JUST a symptom of getting older, but updates and new models seem to come around much more quickly than they once did.
Latest to update is Mazda who have made changes to the diesel-only CX-8 less than a year after it arrived in Australia.
Prices have risen (by up to $1100) but there is more standard equipment, including G-Vectoring Control Plus across the range which can adjust engine torque based on steering and accelerator inputs for improved stability and handling.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a near-$500 retrofit option for earlier models, is now standard, as is tyre pressure monitoring.
The top end Asaki now gets front seat cooling (a feature we love), 7-inch TFT LCD driver display, frameless rear-view mirror (fairly pointless, but it looks good), modified overhead console and LED ambient lighting.
External changes are limited to an LED number plate lamp and different wheel colours.
The Sport model goes up in price by $920 to $43,410 (plus ORC) for the front-wheel drive version and $47,710 (plus ORC) for the all-wheel drive model. The Asaki (all-wheel drive only) rises by $1100 to $62,690 (plus ORC).
