XYZ Racing Tarmac Rally Coilovers — Mazda CX-5 (KE) 4WD 2013-2017

The first-generation KE CX-5 was Mazda’s SkyActiv halo – a crossover that drove with more honesty than a 1.6-tonne tall-boy had any right to. The flip side is body roll, soft secondary damping, and a centre of gravity that pitches forward under late braking. The Tarmac Rally coilover is the wrong tool for fixing that with a soft hand and the right tool for fixing it properly.

This is a stage-spec damper built around closed-tarmac and hillclimb work, then made street-legal by way of adjustable damping and a usable ride-height window. On the KE chassis, with its higher CoG and 4WD driveline loading, that combination matters more than it does on a hatchback.

What this coilover does for your 2013-2017 Mazda CX-5 (KE) 4WD

Drop the ride height to a sensible rally stance and the KE stops behaving like a crossover and starts behaving like an estate car with intent. Body roll on turn-in collapses, the front axle bites earlier, and the 4WD system can finally put torque down without the chassis squatting and pushing wide. Damping adjustment lets you run a firmer setting for events and back it off for the drive home, so the car isn’t punishing on broken Tarmac. Brake dive on the way into a tight second-gear corner is heavily reduced, which is where the KE’s nose-heavy weight distribution costs the most time on a stage.

About the Tarmac Rally coilover

Tarmac Rally sits in XYZ Racing’s competition tier, intended for closed-road stage events on sealed surfaces. Construction is full-bodied monotube with a large-diameter piston, sized for the heat and stroke abuse a 4WD crossover puts through a damper on a rough Tarmac stage. Spring rates are stiffer than the street-biased Super Sport and Circuit Master families, matched to the weight and geometry of the host chassis rather than a generic crossover average. Damping is adjustable so the same kit can be wound up for an event and softened for road transit between stages. Ride-height adjustment is independent of pre-load, which is the correct way to set corner weights without binding the springs. None of this is dressed-up street kit – it’s built to the brief of a tarmac rally car that still has to drive home.

Fitment for the Mazda CX-5 (Years 2013-2017)

This kit is specified for the KE-generation Mazda CX-5 in 4WD form, covering the 2013 through 2017 model years. The 4WD-specific tuning matters – the all-paw KE carries more weight over the rear axle and through the transfer case than the 2WD car, and the damper rates reflect that.

What buyers also search for

• Mazda CX-5 KE rally suspension for closed-stage tarmac events
• Mazda CX-5 4WD coilover with adjustable damping for road and competition use
• KE-chassis CX-5 suspension upgrade that survives repeat stage abuse
• Mazda CX-5 ride-height drop for SUV stance without losing travel
• Mazda CX-5 KE coilover sized for the 4WD driveline rather than a generic fit

Build yours below – pick spring rate and ride-height spec to suit the events you’re entering.