Dealer's Journal

Upgrading the CX-9 the Mazda Way

2016 Gray Mazda CX-9

It’s interesting to think Mazda would want to downgrade anything in their lineup. but when it comes to a large SUV you might have to approach the chore a bit differently.  For this SUV, instead of just adding more power, Mazda chose to work on the real world driving of the SUV which makes perfect sense.  If you think about the approach Mazda has taken toward their model lineup this makes sense.  The Miata is considered a great driving car and doesn’t come over powered and the Mazda 6 is one of the most admired cars on the market today which makes the CX-9 one that will actually make sense.

What was found is that most drivers of this size SUV, with the three rows, hardly ever drive past 3000 rpm in order to get where they need to go.  With this in mind Mazda has changed the way they build the engine of the CX-9 to give us a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes use of the SkyActiv technology to be ready for the job.  This engine will give a CX-9 a full 250 horsepower when using 93 octane fuel and 227 on 87 octane.  The torque will be the same regardless of the fuel and bring you 310 lb.-ft. of torque to enjoy at only 2000 rpm, allowing you to enjoy the full power of the SUV at a lower range in order to give you the amount of power you want.

With this power output at the low rpm range the important part of this build is the fuel mileage that is offered.  The official numbers are expected to be in the range of 20 city/28 hwy mpg for the AWD version and 21 city/29 hwy mpg for the FWD model.  This is not only a result of the build of the engine but also the weight loss of the new CX-9 which is 200 pounds in the FWD model and 300 pounds for the AWD version.

Another change for the Mazda CX-9 is the addition of a Signature trim level at the top of the range in order to give you a near luxury version of the CX-9 you can choose.  This new trim will be perfect to compete with the Platinum trim from the Ford Explorer as well as the Elite trim for the Honda Pilot which makes for a great competition in this class.

As for size the new CX-9 is 1.2 inches shorter than the outgoing model but it has a 2.2-inches longer wheel base to give you increased interior space.  Even the access to the third row is easier to manage than before with a single lever to make it so easy even a small child can make it into the third row with ease.  With this new CX-9, you can certainly find yourself enjoying the excellent driving and power that is part of the fun of driving this SUV.  This is a vehicle that is full of great features and all the modern technology to give you an amazing vehicle to carry the whole family in.

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