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Mazda’s all-new, style-savvy seven-seater SUV wraps the first turbocharged SkyActiv engine.
WHAT IS IT? It’s Mazda’s biggest and most expensive vehicle; a seven-seater SUV designed with Aussie families in mind that boasts a wider range of technology than any other Mazda on sale. It is cheaper, lighter, smaller, and available in a broader model spectrum than before.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT CX-9 introduces a brand new engine that combines Mazda’s SkyActiv engineering philosophy with forced induction for the first time. The CX-9 also promises to add some sparkle to the otherwise dull cohort of family-friendly, three-row SUVs.
MAIN RIVALS Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Territory, Holden Captiva 7, Nissan Pathfinder
PLUS: Styling elegance; fuel efficiency; practical packaging MINUS: Engine note; dull brakes; demanding steering
THE WHEELS REVIEW AS A rule, purely functional seven-seaters are a snooze-fest. Space-hungry families demanding a third row are often forced to choose between lacklustre high-riders and the coma-inducing boredom of owning a people mover. Driving either is like an early night on New Year’s Eve – there’s a lot you’re missing out on.
CX-9 for 2016 is cheaper, lighter (by up to 162kg), thriftier, quieter, and available in a broader range than before. Four varieties include Sport ($42,490), Touring ($48,490), GT ($57,390) and Azami ($59,390), and for the first time Mazda is making all-wheel drive available on all of them as a $4000 option. That means a new CX-9 Sport AWD costs a full $10K less than the cheapest AWD of the CX-9’s first generation.
Fuel economy is where it excels, sipping 8.4L/100km in FWD models, and 8.8L/100km in AWDs. That’s markedly down from the 11.0-11.3L/100km of the outgoing 3.7-litre V6.
The turbo petrol four-pot is the only engine available across the CX-9 range. Its 34kW deficit to the silky V6 it replaces is made up for by the effectiveness and delivery of its extra 53Nm. Adding a turbo hasn’t muffled the vocal nature of the SkyActiv engine, which has a harsh edge to its note that can be intrusive at higher revs. Thankfully, the full force of its torque is available from a low 2000rpm so there’s little need to drive it near the redline.
Up front, a squinty gaze and huge chrome grille form the latest, and most striking incarnation of Mazda’s Kodo design language. The sheer size of the CX-9’s dramatic bodywork verges on imposing, yet it retains handsome proportions and an athletic form, that when studied closely reveals a level of subtlety and attention to fine detail rivalling the more premium brands.
It gets even better once you pull the door handle. The front half of the cabin is a particularly refined composition of textural materials and elegant styling. Mazda has deliberately created a feeling of separation from the two rows behind. Its hushed and well-equipped interior houses a full suite of safety technology as standard. Only the base model misses out on leather trim and a larger, top-mounted touchscreen.
Passengers in the nosebleeds miss out on third-row air vents, but won’t feel short-changed thanks to great visibility through generous window apertures, and head- and leg-room accommodating enough to host adults for short trips.
The CX-9’s ride shows initial polish. Mazda’s trustworthy dynamic competency is felt in its well-controlled tautness, though the 1.9 tonne wagon can’t disguise its heft when thumping over sharper deviations. Braking lacks bite at the top of the pedal travel, and asks for more input than expected, even in stop-start traffic.
Mazda has put a bullet in the customary blandness of seven-seater load-luggers, and delivered an SUV that extends beyond the mundane task of putting bums on seats. Hiroshima has cracked the code.
SPECS Model: Mazda CX-9 Azami AWD Engine: 2488cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power: 170kW @ 5000rpm Max torque: 420Nm @ 2000rpm Transmission: 6-speed automatic Weight: 1924kg 0-100km/h: 8.5sec (est.) Fuel economy: 8.8L/100km Price: $63,390 On sale: Now
