Southfield — Rarely do I attack a 180-degree cloverleaf with an SUV. Exiting I-75 in the all-new 2026 Mazda CX-5, I activated SPORT mode, stabbed the brakes, then rotated the 3,856-pound ute into the looooong turn, hugging the apex until the all-season tires screamed in protest. The CX-5 stayed true.Yep, the CX-5’s poised handling hasn’t changed.But everything else has. After lagging the segment in touchscreen ergonomics and interior room, the third-generation CX-5 has been remade as a roomy, cutting-edge tool for the digital age. But for the curious absence of Mazda’s turbocharged engine alternative, CX-5 is a high five.Job One: The touchscreenAs an aspirational premium brand, Mazda made a splash with the second-gen CX-5 in 2017, equipping it with a chic remote-rotary-controlled infotainment screen in the fashion of luxury brands Audi and BMW. Mazda engineers also embraced the technology because it allowed them to move the touchless screen forward on the dash where it was more in the line of the driver’s road view.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut as smartphones took over the world — and our cars — Tesla-like touchscreens were the rage. We were driving iPhones on wheels! BMW quickly fell in line with a touchscreen to complement the rotary i-Drive it had, ahem, invented. So, too, Genesis. Audi went touchscreen, and suddenly ... Mazda’s system was unfashionable.And unloved. My son looooves his Mazda3, except for the clumsy remote controller.So for its current gen, Mazda has gone full Tesla. My $41K Premium Plus tester sports a big 15.6-inch screen (12-incher standard). No remote rotary dial. No buttons. No knobs.Everything is controlled in the screen. Well, almost everything. You can still adjust your mirrors and steering column manually (Tesla puts even those functions in-screen). And an automatic shifter still anchors the console.AdvertisementAdvertisement“Hey, Google,” I barked to the Google-based software system. “Change driver temperature to 70 degrees.”Who needs a climate knob?Clean, sculpted interiors are the new luxury fashion. Think Tesla, Lincoln, Rivian, Polestar. Mazda already pens some of the best interiors in the business, and the updated, minimalist aesthetic conforms with the simple flowing lines of the exterior. Wrap it in my tester’s Soul Red, and it makes for a lovely date.Job Two: Vroom with roomObsessed with making driver’s cars, Mazda has never been overly concerned with passenger legroom. The subcompact CX-30 is tight, the CX-5 small for class. Heck, the brand’s halo MX-5 Miata doesn’t even have a backseat.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut the 2026 CX-5 hopefully changes all that. The Mazda ute gains a healthy 4.8 inches in wheelbase, which translates to excellent rear legroom and cargo space.With its biggest shortcomings fixed, CX-5 turns up the volume on its signature design and tech. At its core is a redesigned steering wheel that is a delicious, functional command center.Like a chocolate tart, it is a perfect, black, round confection. Two spokes frame it on either side like a knife and fork. In the middle of the spokes are two round circles that echo the round tart. Shades of Tesla and its rollers.The Mazda circles aren’t as functional as Tesla rollers, alas — and I miss the previous-gen CX-5 rocker switches used to navigate volume and adaptive cruise speed. The circles do, however, anchor your thumbs so you can find those features when needed.AdvertisementAdvertisementBecause Mazdas are loaded with standard features.Forget my loaded, $41,080 tester — at $31K, the CX-5 is stuffed with standard all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, adaptive windshield wipers, adaptive headlights and a deployable drone (kidding about that last one).My Premium Plus model adds a Cruising & Traffic support feature to augment ACC.On I-75, I toggled the C&T button on the wheel, and a green steering wheel icon illuminated on the dash. Not a blue one, mind you (that means hands-free in Tesla, GM products, Rivian models and Subaru Outback), but green meant I could relax with just a coupla fingers on the wheel while the car did the rest.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt made for a smooth trip south.Until I, ahem, exited and encountered another cloverleaf. SPORT mode time.Job Three: where’d the vroom go?Exiting the cloverleaf, I buried my left foot, and got ... just 187 horsepower.For $40K, the last-gen model (and its CX-50 sibling) offered a Turbo model powered by a terrific, 257-horse turbo-4 that made the Mazda a BMW X3 killer for $20K less.Put its name on a milk carton. It’s gone missing.The only engine available for 2026 is the standard 2.5-liter, normally-aspirated four-banger. It's mated to Mazda’s best-in-segment, liquid-smooth automatic six-speed. Word on the street is that the CX-5 will add the 217-horsepower hybrid (introduced for the CX-50 for a sippy 39 mpg highway compared to 30 mpg for my 2.5-liter egg-beater) and be competitive with, say, the Honda CR-V.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut this premium performance SUV deserves more.With its knife-like steering carving up roads and high-tech interior, the turbo-4 made it transcendent — one of the best values in the industry. Happily, you can still buy it in the 2026 CX-50 for $39,395. I trust it will follow in the CX-5 soon for leadfoots willing to wait.My top-drawer Premium Plus model brings nice ergonomic features like an expansive head-up display to complement the center jumbotron. But even the $33,485 Select model (second from base) boasts standard features that made my daily life comfortable.Features like a wireless charging pad so that my Android never ran out of juice while navigating the Michigan landscape. Mrs. Payne brought along a tall sports bottle. It fit comfortably in the door cupholder, which was cantilevered forward so tall flasks could clear the armrest.AdvertisementAdvertisementI opened the rear hatch to throw in our bags. I folded the rear seats flat for more room. And underneath the rear carpet is an easy-access spare tire should you be attacked by a Detroit pothole.Tesla big screens were a revelation last decade, in part because they gave you something to do while sitting for a half-hour at Superchargers. With 450 miles of range and a two-minute gas fill-up, waits to stock up on energy are not a thing for CX-5.But should you find yourself waiting around with impatient kiddies in tow, Google Built-in brings with it a suite of apps to take advantage of Mazda’s new touchscreen pride and joy. Apps like (with a subscription) YouTube or my favorite: Beach Buggy Racing 2.For most drivers, though, the CX-5 in SPORT mode is entertainment enough.2026 Mazda CX-5Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, five-passenger SUVAdvertisementAdvertisementPrice: $31,485, including $1,495 destination fee ($41,080 Premium Plus as tested)Power plant: 2.5-liter inline four-cylinderPower: 187 horsepower, 185 pound-feet of torqueTransmission: Six-speed automaticWeight: 3,856 poundsPerformance: 0-60 mph, 8.2 seconds (Car and Driver est.); top speed, 116 mphFuel economyEPA est.: 24 city/30 highway/26 combinedReport cardHigh: Sporty SUV loaded with standard goodies; Tesla-like touchscreenLows: No knobs; bring back the 257-horse turbo-4, please?Overall: 3 starsHenry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Payne: Mazda fixed the CX-5. Except for the turbo-4