Mazda CX-9

Overview

How many times have we seen a car from one of the left field options take on the biggies? These cars will have similar tech, beautiful styling details and strong engines. What they lack is the badge power of a German car brand. It is rare of a customer to choose something like this over a typically established offering. However, our Malaysian market is a tad different. Here, people choose value for money over badges. Perhaps the reason why Mazdas sell more. The CX-9 is not your typical Mazda. At least when you see the RM 300k price tag. This for a car that goes head-on with the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Tucson as well as premium offerings like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. In its second generation, the new CX-9 was introduced last year. How good is it? We find out.

Interior & Features

As if the outside drama wasn’t enough, the designers have worked their magic on the inside too. The 2018 Mazda CX-9 interior is crafted with the best of the materials the Hiroshima-based maker could afford. There is leather everywhere, even on the door side trim. The front two seats are powered while the driver gets a memory function too. Mazda’s head-up display, as well as colored meter dials, are on offer here as well. The headlights have an automatic on-off function, there are automatic wipers, a touchscreen infotainment system as well as the rotary dials. Tilting glass power sunroof, one-touch power windows, power folding mirrors, three-zone climate control with rear AC vents, powered tailgate and more are offered.

Split seat configuration for the rear bench makes sense while getting in and out as well as when loading luggage. The tailgate is powered and adds a lot to the convenience factor. With all the seats in place, the space for luggage is 230 litres while tumbling the rear seats liberates 600 litres more.

Exterior

The grille of the Mazda CX-9 looks big. As the vehicle itself is large by even Mazda standards, this makes sense. This is quite evident in the dimensions of the vehicle - 5,075 mm x 1,969 mm x 1,747 mm for the length, width and height respectively. The Mazda CX-9 color card includes jet black, deep crystal blue, snowflake white pearl, machine grey, and sonic silver. The headlights are smaller units while the fog lights are even so. In contrast, typical of Mazda cars, the hood is quite prominent. Look at the car from the side and you realise that this has a Sorento and Q5 silhouette. The 20-inch wheel looks smug, especially with that dark finish. The tail lights are slim and are connected by a thin looking chrome tape. Twin exhausts peek out from under the rear bumper.

Ride & Handling

You normally will not be concerned about this part. SUVs are known to provide for a good ride experience. Isn’t that the first reason why you buy them? The new Mazda CX-9 has a ride height of 223 mm. The turning radius is 5.8 metre which may make things cumbersome were it not for the parking aids. Mazda provides front as well as rear parking sensors along with a directional rearview camera.

In terms of suspension, the Mazda CX-9 uses MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link at the back. These have been tuned to offer the best of handling as well as ride quality. The car has a planted feel even on the highway in spite of its tall stance. In terms of ride quality, the suspension is a bit stiff but unlike ladder frame chassis, this one is more of a monocoque. So, you don’t particularly have to drive around with a load for the suspension to absorb bumps.

We quite like the steering wheel too. It is a compact unit and is easy to handle too. It is an electric unit but has wholesome feel and eggs you to push the vehicle to the limits. Of course, aiding things are the Mazda G-Vectoring control. Bringing the vehicle to a halt safely are discs on all the four wheels. These have a progressive feel to them as well.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

A car is nothing without an engine, right? Given that the Mazda CX-9, so far has been able to make a mighty impression both with the inside and outside form will be nothing if the performance isn’t at par. The previous generation CX-9 used the same engine like this one, however, it was a gas guzzler. Thankfully, Mazda has added a turbo to the equation as well as revised internals to make it more efficient. Yes, we are talking about the lone engine option here - the 2.5-litre 228 PS/420 Nm direct injection unit. It gives 10 kmpl fuel efficiency while the range should be around 750 km given that the tank capacity is 73 litres. An 8 second 0-100 kmph time is also guaranteed.  Mazda offers this powertrain with a 2WD or AWD configurations. A 6-speed automatic transmission is a standard fare here. Paddle shifters too are provided.

Braking & Safety

Let us assure you, it is out there with the best. Six airbags, ABS with electronic brake force distribution, emergency brake assist, speed sensing door lock, dynamic stability control, traction control, walk away lock, hill launch assist, ISOFIX child seat tethers, adaptive LED headlights, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention alert and engine immobilizer are ‘few’ of the driving aids.

Verdict

This one is a winner in our eyes. The Mazda CX-9 specifications point towards a sophisticated vehicle. The Mazda CX-9 price too points in the same direction. How about RM 316,788 for the 2WD while the price of the AWD is RM 323,849. Wow! That’s quite a lot of money. But, trust us. This one has the potential to be a game changer if you look beyond the Mazda badge and treat it as a premium vehicle. It is that good!