Out of all the affordable small crossovers offered by Japanese automakers, the Mazda CX-5 has to be our favorite. The first generation may have been a little sportier to drive, but the 2021 models had the big turbo engine, which was basically unique in the segment.
Anyway, just like the Mazda3 and the Mazda6, the CX-5 is a popular car with tuners. But not in America. No, we’re talking about pure Japanese builds here, from people who appreciate a good domestic product.
This build has been getting a lot of attention over the past couple of days because of a shoutout from Rotiform. The famous wheel company is responsible for the crazy alloys on this car, which are the forged CHD-T design. Their blocky metallic look has a clear vintage look, like they’re made for a 1980s economy car… but better.
The CHD-T is fully customizable as far as depth, size, color, and bolts. That makes it impossible to tell you how much they cost. But they start from $750 per unit, and we believe the full set actually set the owner back about $7,000.
CX-5 body kit options
Yes, somebody paid that much for upgrades that don’t add any performance. You might argue that the esthetics of the CX-5 has been changed too much, or that the suspension drop makes it pointless to buy a crossover in the first place. But at least the lowered ride was achieved through air suspension, so she can sit up straight when she wants to.
There’s obviously more going on here than just the wheels. This CX-5 comes with a custom exhaust that hangs below the bumper. While probably unnecessary, who doesn’t want his family car to sound fruity?
The body kit is another obvious change. The bumpers have been customized with parts from AutoExe. These are not expensive parts. The piano black spoiler costs about $700 (in Japan, that’s 78,000 yen).
However, we don’t know who makes those widebody fender flares. A number of companies sell CX-5 body kits in Japan, including DAMD, Ducks Garden, Admiral, and Climate. However, Germany’s Prior Design is the only example of fender flares we could find. They could be universal flares, though they do fit the rear doors suspiciously well. Our best guess is the Roadhouse (sometimes called Road House) over-fender for the CX-5 KF.
