Mazda CX9

It's finally here in Australia!  The Mazda CX -9 has a presence and styling on the road that exudes sweeping lines and lovely detailing. Aimed at competing against the Toyota Highlander, the Mazda CX -9 is an all-new 3.5-litre quad-valve V-6 producing 263 bhp at 6250 rpm. This should be plenty of power for the average Australian family to play with, particularly if you will make use of the crossover technology and head off road. The Mazda CX -9 has a charming engine with creamy torque in just about every rev range you care to push the vehicle through. Nissan is well rehearsed in building quality engines that have a reputation of picking up awards. The 3.5-litre quad-valve V-6 is a smooth match for the six-speed transmission that offers extremely nice gear changing ability even with the right foot is pressed hard to the floor.

Enter the Mazda CX-9's solid doors, and what becomes quickly evident to the eye is the very well put together cabin that is designed by someone with a good grasp of what interior design should incorporate. The beautifully detailed cabin is solidly constructed, and the choice of textures and colours are excellent. The leather seating in the Luxury model is wonderfully comfortable and supportive - and the Classic's cloth is a pretty good second-best. Row number two slides nearly five inches forward and reclines, and is a split 60/40 design. A single lever can be pulled for the second row to collapse forward and provide an easy access way to the third row. As far as third row seating goes in this market niche, the Mazda CX-9 is very near the top in the class - you can actually sit there without wrapping your knees around your ear or wishing you could collapse your ribs and hips to fit next to the person beside you.  Six airbags, front load-limited pyrotechnic pretensioner seatbelts and a stout bodyshell keep it safe and are part of the reason that the Mazda CX-9 scored five stars in the US NHTSA crash-test.

 
If you happen to be the lucky driver, you will enjoy the feel of the meaty steering wheel that gives very responsive feedback at all road going speeds. It just beckons to be held. Over a wide variety of road surfaces, the CX-9 is supple and quiet, and cornering remains commendably flat when tight bends are performed with haste. The big Mazda CX-9 is surprisingly light on its feet. The CX-9's dynamic safety net includes stability control –  and a very sophisticated and safe stability cotnrol that works alongside roll stability controll and traction control - but remains fun to drive.

Even the most basic model driven by the front wheels comes with a full allotment of standard features, including a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, antilock brakes, tilt-telescoping steering wheel with wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, and keyless entry.   The big-screen reversing camera is a bonus, especially when backing down driveways where the family moggy is snoozing or somebody's left their bike.

The better equipped models have leather seating, an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat, powered sunroof and a 10-speaker Bose audio system with an in-dash six-disc CD player. For those of you who like to drive to the snow over slippery tracks, the all-wheel-drive version of the Mazda CX-9 is also available.
As far as the “zoom zoom” part goes, the grunty Mazda CX-9 3.5 litre front wheel drive will certainly perform when pushed. A 0-100 km/hr sprint can be completed in about 8.5 seconds  - not bad for a big beast.

The Mazda CX-9 is a superb effort from Mazda that will no doubt be a model that will be bought by many Australians. Owners will enjoy the crossover ability and appreciate the way the Mazda CX-9 drives as easily as a car.

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