Test drive Mazda CX-5

A column of 15 crossovers, stretching for 500 meters, moves on the ice of the deepest lake on the planet. There is an abyss below us, the finish line is still very far, and the fuel is almost running out

One of the Baikal legends says that the formidable Buryat ruler Hasan Choson lived here many years ago. One very cold winter, he gathered a huge army and set off on a new campaign, sending soldiers across the ice to the other side of the lake in order to shorten the path. Thus, Joseon greatly angered the gods, the ice cracked, and all the warrior's cavalry went under the water. Now tourists are told that, supposedly, in the fog, you can see the ghostly shadows of horsemen flying over the lake.

I would like to hope that we will not meet spirits on our way, and higher powers will be supportive, especially since we came to Lake Baikal with completely peaceful intentions. We will cross the lake on ice from east to west in Mazda vehicles as part of the Epic Drive program. These are such car runs along the most difficult and at the same time the most scenic routes in the world. Say, earlier Mazda visited Norway, having driven more than a thousand kilometers along the fjords, and also crossed Iceland on MX-5 roadsters.

Now Mazda cars have to drive about 70 km on the frozen surface of the deepest lake and the world's largest fresh water reservoir. The ideal transport for a winter crossing is, of course, a snowmobile or aeroboat with a huge propeller. Well, or, say, a six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle TRECOL with low-pressure tires, which do not care about potholes, hummocks, cracks and other tricks hidden on the ice covered with snow.

It is on such a device that the EMERCOM team, designed to accompany our group, moves around the lake. Another lifeguard oversees the snowmobile ride. We, in turn, will set off on a difficult path in Mazda CX-5 crossovers, which have not undergone any special modernization. Nevertheless, we have 193 mm ground clearance, a 2,5-liter engine, four-wheel drive and a six-speed "automatic" with manual shifting.

Before us there was a large group of European colleagues. And they, like all pioneers, had a very difficult time: a snowstorm hit Baikal, reducing visibility to a minimum. The Europeans had to literally cut through the snowdrifts under extremely unfavorable conditions. On the one hand, they experienced a real extreme, and on the other, the shroud of snow hid all the beauty of these places.

But the Russian team was lucky. We arrived at Baikal on a clear sunny day, which, by the way, in Buryatia, there are up to 300 a year - like in Nice. There are dazzling white peaks of mountain ranges against the background of a piercing blue sky, and on the other side is the snowy desert of a frozen lake, on the horizon of which the western shore turns blue. This is where we have to get.

Nevertheless, the weather made some changes to the route. Initially, it was planned to start from the village of Tankhoy, but the coastal line was heavily covered with snow, and it was not possible to break through it in a car. The departure point had to be moved to Klyuevka, fifty kilometers to the north, so the distance that would have to be covered on the ice of the lake increased by about a third.

Before leaving, we go through a short briefing, during which we, among other things, are advised to go through snow drifts in second gear, warn the cars going behind by turning on the emergency gang and keep a reasonable distance between the cars - ice is still ice.

“The ice is between 80 cm and XNUMX meters thick. Don't worry, even a tank can pass through here, ”the instructor reassures. Indeed, such a strong ice cover forms on Lake Baikal that at the end of the XNUMXth century a railway was laid between the western and eastern shores, which in winter became part of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Steam locomotives, however, were not allowed on it - the heavy carriages were pulled one by one with the help of horses. “Well, if you do fail, then you will have time to get out - the car sinks for about two minutes. It is strictly forbidden to wear a seat belt, ”the instructor sums up.

We start from Klyuevka to Listvyanka. If everything goes according to plan, then we should reach the finish line in about six to seven hours. Ahead is an all-terrain vehicle with rescuers, and the convoy of cars is headed by the "senior" crossover CX-9, in which a team of organizers from Great Britain travels. This is probably not the best idea - the long flagship SUV now and then sits on its belly, braking the rest of the line of cars.

The smaller CX-5 walks briskly across the snow and ice surface, easily overcoming deep sections. You just need to turn off the dynamic stabilization system, put the box in sport mode, and take too large sections from a run in second gear. We pass especially inaccessible places with a small run, but those who still managed to bury themselves are pulled out with the help of a cable.

From time to time we stop just to admire the beauty of the Baikal ice - there are snow-free areas on the lake. You can look at the frozen water of the deepest lake in the world endlessly - clouds are reflected in the dark blue ice, dissected by chaotic cracks. A strong gust of icy wind soon forces us to return to the car, and in time we are quite limited.

Ahead of us awaits the first serious obstacle in the form of a crack, overgrown with human-sized torsos. Rescuers have to cut through the ice with chainsaws. How unusual it is to look at the navigator screen, which shows that the car is in the middle of a huge lake.

We leave the car and hear dull thumps, similar to distant cannon shots or thunderclaps. These sounds are made by the ice, as if indignant at the fact that a dozen cars drove out on it. “I told you: keep a distance of at least 15-20 meters between cars. There is almost a kilometer of water under us! " - the radio immediately begins to crackle.

Despite the thickness of the ice, we are asked not to wander and look where we are. Although small, there is a chance to fall into the wormwood made by seals. As the ice forms, these unique Baikal seals make special air vents up to two meters in diameter, through which they breathe or crawl out to bask in the sun.

The most difficult test had to be faced when we had already covered most of the way. The Emergencies Ministry team reports by radio that a wide crack with open water has formed in front of us, and if we do not manage to get over it in the near future, we will have to turn back.

We have everything in order with the fuel supply - it should be enough for another 200 kilometers, but some crews report that their light has long been on. But the point is not even that the fuel is already splashing on the bottom, the strength is running out, and the sun is approaching sunset. It's just that at such moments you begin to understand what feelings, for example, a climber feels, who for one reason or another had to turn down, not reaching a couple of hundred meters to the top of an eight-thousander.

The all-terrain vehicle is sent out reconnaissance in the hope of finding an alternative road, but returns with nothing - at a distance of several kilometers in both directions, the rift does not narrow. You have to make the crossing yourself from blocks of ice, boards and tarps. You have to work very quickly - huge layers of ice live their own lives and soon the crack can only become wider. Although not without difficulty, but still we overcome the water barrier and go further. There are no losses - all cars are on the move, and minor body breakdowns in the form of chips and torn bumpers are not counted.

The column moves slowly but surely - the driving speed depends on the constantly changing surface. A powerful wind is blowing over the lake, which either piles up snow blockages up to the waist, or, on the contrary, blows out long, even sections of ice, the smoothness of which will be the envy of the best short track sites.

After 1,5 hours, our group is already racing along the coast of the resort Listvyanka. Tourists walking along the embankment take out their phones and cameras. They probably expected to see the ghostly ancient riders, but they saw us. About 15 cars, arriving from the other side, appeared at sunset as if out of nowhere. I think it looked no less epic.

A type	Crossover
Dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4550/1840/1675
Wheelbase, mm	2700
Ground clearance, mm	193
Cargo space, l	506-1620
Curb weight, kg	1565
Gross vehicle weight, kg	2143
engine's type	Gasoline 4-cylinder
Working volume, cubic meters cm	2488
Max. power, h.p. (at rpm)	194/6000
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	257/4000
Drive type, transmission	Full, 6АКП
Max. speed km / h	194
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s	9
Fuel consumption (mixture), l / 100 km	9,2
Price from, $.	23 934