Mazda’s CX-9 gets an early lift
BY RON HAMMERTON | 17th Aug 2017
Powertrain, body panels and other fundamentals remain unchanged, but the seven-seat CX-9 gains small but significant improvements such as more noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) damping measures, pedestrian collision detection and the addition of what it calls G-vectoring control to improve vehicle dynamics.
The latter works by adjusting engine torque in response to steering input, to deliver what Mazda describes as “unified control of lateral and longitudinal acceleration forces”.
Six new anti-NVH measures contribute to improved cabin refinement. These include better noise-absorbing material in the headliner, boot and floor.
The company says the measures have cut noise by about five per cent in the second and third rows of seats, making it easier for families to chat on the move.
Anti-crash technologies now include pedestrian detection in the forward collision autonomous braking system that also gets a higher effective speed range, rising from 4–30km/h to 4–80km/h.
Top-end GT and Azami variants also get traffic sign recognition.
All second- and third-row seat positions now get child seat anchor points, including Isofix mountings on the two outer middle row seats that, in GT and Azami variants, are also heated now.
The front edge of the driver’s seat cushion can be tilted, and is even included with all seat settings in the memory function.
The third seat row is now more easily accessed, thanks to second-row seat backs that lean forward 33 degrees. The seat also slides forward more easily on new plastic rails, while the lever action is lighter for small hands.
Auto power-folding mirrors have been added across the range, while a new metallic colour, Soul Red Mystic, has been poached from the new CX-5 colour palette.
Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak said: “Although it has barely been a year since the debut of the current CX-9, it is important to Mazda to drive the evolution of this vehicle as our flagship SUV, responding to customers who seek quality, design, driving pleasure, safety, value and passenger comfort.”So far this year, sales of the CX-9 are up a dramatic 380 per cent, from 1161 to the end of July last year to 5576 in the same seven months of 2017.
| 2017 Mazda CX-9 pricing* | |
| Sport FWD (a) | $43,890 |
| Sport AWD (a) | $47,890 |
| Touring FWD (a) | $50,290 |
| Touring AWD (a) | $54,290 |
| GT FWD (a) | $58,790 |
| GT AWD (a) | $62,790 |
| Azami FWD (a) | $60,790 |
| Azami AWD (a) | $64,790 |
