2019 Mazda CX-9 pushes upmarket with luxury and safety tech

Kevin J Lee September 7, 2018 New Car Price, News 1,992 Views

The 2019 CX-9 pushes upmarket further with the introduction the new range-topping CX-9 Azami LE – the fifth model in the seven-seat SUV’s line up. On sale from September, the entire CX-9 also boosts safety and sophistication upgrade with Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across the range.

Mazda says the 2019 update demonstrates its commitment to improve, enhance and evolve the range at every opportunity, following a comprehensive round of upgrades made in August 2017.

The inclusion of i-ACTIVSENSE means the whole range is now equipped with Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go Function (MRCC), Smart Brake Support (SBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane-keep Assist System (LAS), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) and High Beam Control (HBC), alongside existing technologies including Smart City Brake Support [Forward/Reverse] (SCBS F/R), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Driver Attention Alert (DAA).

All variants also gain an Active Driving Display, which projects key information onto the windscreen, and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System to keep all four wheels at the correct pressure.

The new Mazda CX-9 also becomes the first SUV in Mazda Australia’s lineup to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, incorporated seamlessly into the MZD Connect infotainment system.

The high-spec Azami gets even more advanced equipment, including front seat ventilation, a 360^° View Monitor, instrument panel-mounted seven-inch LCD TFT multi-information metre display, heated steering wheel, windscreen de-icer and a sleek, frameless internal rear-vision mirror.

Elevating Azami’s premium offering further still, Mazda introduces a new high-grade called Azami LE, which is said to sett a new standard for affordable luxury in response to customer demand for high-grade Mazda CX-9s.

Combining a unique colour palette with rich, authentic materials and sophisticated technologies, Mazda says the Azami LE offers the most sophisticated Mazda CX-9 cabin yet.

A deep red, Chroma Brown nappa leather adorns the seats, complemented by real wood decorative panels on the doors and centre console, which is elegantly framed by ambient LED lighting. A more minimalist overhead console design and hand-crafted box stitching on the leather wrapped steering wheel complete the luxe interior.

Besides safety and technology upgrades, the 2019 CX-9 also gain revisions to its suspension and steering system to give the car a “more linear” driving feel and better ride comfort through low-friction dampers and recalibrated springs, with urethane top mounts now used for the rear dampers.

The vertical spring characteristics of the engine mounts have also been optimised, while the attachment point between the steering’s outer ball joint and steering knuckle has been redesigned to give the steering a more neutral feel. Increasing the rigidity of both the front hub bearings and the steering mounts has also been credited with enhanced steering responsiveness.

Mazda says the CX-9’s noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels have been further reduced with the use of tuned mass dampers, vibration-reducing powertrain mounts, changes to the second-row seat rails, increased steering column rigidity, a revised headliner and use of the steering wheel-mounted airbag as a tuned-mass damper.

The 2019 model continues to be powered by Mazda’s 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G turbocharged petrol engine producing 170kW of power and 420Nm of torque, mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.

New Mazda CX-9 is available with either front-wheel-drive or i-ACTIV all-wheel-drive, except for Azami LE which is all-wheel-drive only.

Paired with four trim options, New Mazda CX-9 is offered in seven contemporary colours, including Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic, Sonic Silver Metallic, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, Titanium Flash Mica, Jet Black Mica and Snowflake White Pearl Mica.

Now offering even better value, Mazda anticipate more than 6,500 sales of New Mazda CX-9 in the first year, with the Azami and Azami LE accounting for 38 percent of total sales.