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Mazda’s second-generation CX-9 crossover has been officially unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Adopting the brand’s KODO design language, the three-row CX-9 SUV features a longer bonnet, swept glasshouse, crisp lines and short overhangs. At 5065mm long, CX-9 is 30mm shorter than its predecessor, but its wheelbase has been stretched 55mm, benefiting passenger leg room as well as entry to and exit from the rear.
Housing larger wheels – 18 and 20-inch – the CX-9’s tapered fenders are pushed to the edge of its body, giving the SUV a wider stance.
The front fascia gets Mazda’s five-point grille with double bars, flanked on either side by standard low- and high-beam LED headlights.
Designed to make the CX-9 look as though it were carved from a single ingot of steel, Machine Gray is the newest signature color from Mazda, complementing CX-9’s surfacing.
Additionally, the new CX-9 will be available in Soul Red, Snowflake White Pearl, Sonic Silver, Jet Black, Deep Crystal Blue and Titanium Flash.
Inside, the CX-9 pushes upmarket with a premium-look interior with available Auburn-colored Nappa leather, Japanese rosewood and aluminum.
A sweeping single piece of aluminum adorns the dashboard, emphasizing width, with a forward-angled dashboard that is flanked with Auburn accents in the new, flagship Signature trim level.
Satin and polished finishes on the aluminum plinth evoke Japanese craftsmanship and are inspired by Japan’s famous hand-made knives.
NVH levels have been given heavy focus in the new CX-9 cabin, with Mazda engineers applying as much as 24kg of sound-deadening mats in the body for reduced NVH. Mazda was quick to point out, however, that the new CX-9 is 90kg lighter in front-wheel-drive form and 130kg in all-wheel-drive configuration compared to the previous model.
The weight savings allowed Mazda engineers to increase window thickness to 4.8mm and rethink active noise-cancelling technologies, in addition to using simpler, more rigid parts, to reduce noise. At 100 km/h, interior noise levels have been reduced by 12 percent from the previous model while road noise levels are down by 2.0 dB, according to Mazda.
Debuting with the CX-9 is a new SkyActiv 2.5-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine with the world’s first turbocharging system that can vary the degree of exhaust pulsation depending on engine speed thus reducing turbo lag and improving turbo efficiency. It also features a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system that allows the engine to maintain the ideal air-fuel ratio over a wider output range.
The new engine, with a compression ratio of 10.5:1 – one of the highest for any turbocharged engine – produces 169kW at 5000rpm and 420Nm at 2000rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Mazda’s i-Activsense safety features upgraded for the new CX-9 now include Blind Spot Monitoring, Radar Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Automatic High Beam, Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking.
