SPORTINESS COMES STANDARD
Mid-sized crossovers are the workhorses of the greater SUV segment. Not as flashy as the luxury oriented units, they are the family haulers, a function that was once the purview of station wagons and later minivans. Their strengths are size, cargo capacity and (often) third-row seating.
Want to see a cross-section of them? Just drive by any elementary school during morning drop-off or afternoon pickup. By my count, there are 19 models trying to get a piece of the action, the current segment leaders being Ford’s Edge and Explorer, the Kia Sorento, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee and the Toyota Highlander.
Near the bottom of this long list is the Mazda CX-9, a model that made its world debut back in 2006, replaced 10 years later by the second-generation version, a sharp-looking crossover deserving of a lot more respect than it’s getting. Genuinely clean and handsome, the bold grille, long hood, short overhangs, tapered fenders and large wheels give it a rather sharp presence in comparison with many of its bulky rivals.
Looking at the long list of competitors out there, the biggest knock against the CX-9 is its lack of powertrain choices. When Mazda replaced the first-generation CX-9 with the new model, it dropped the 270-horsepower, 3.7-litre V-6 in favour of a smaller-displacement, 2.5-L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, substituting greater torque for less horsepower. The boosted four puts out just 227 hp on regular unleaded, bumping up to a more respectable 250 with 93 octane (rather expensive these days). The upside is a robust 310 pound-feet of torque available at a low 2,000 rpm. Towing capacity, a strong consideration for many shopping the mid-sized crossover segment, is a respectable — if not class-leading — 3,500 pounds.
Say what you want about the easy power of the V-6 or V-8, but the turbo 2.5 L proved plenty smooth on a couple of longer runs, cruising along at around 115 km/ h and averaging — if you believe the truthfulness of the digital readout — 8.9 L/100 km. Overall fuel economy for the week was 10.6, measured by myself, the vast majority being highway kilometres.
Mazda has said it has overcome the traditional downsides of turbocharged engines — poor performance at low rpm, turbo lag and less-than-stellar realworld fuel economy — with what it calls the Dynamic Pressure Turbo. This is purportedly the world’s first turbocharging system that can vary the degree of exhaust pulsation depending on engine speed and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system allows the engine to maintain the ideal air-fuel ratio over a wider output range.
With a curb weight of 1,981 kilograms, the CX-9’S acceleration numbers are reasonable for its size and intent; instrumented testing on the crossover when it made its debut two years ago resulted in a zero-to-100 km/ h time of 8.3 seconds and 5.2 seconds to pull off an 80-to-120 km/ h passing move. Very usable low-end and mid-range power keeps the CX-9 in the hunt, although not so much once the tach needle sweeps past 4,000 rpm.
Mazda’s reputation for imbuing its products with a sportier ride and handling continues with the crossover. It tracks well, communicating road conditions to the driver, and is poised in the corners. The CX-9 uses what Mazda calls G-vectoring Control to maximize tire performance; turn the steering wheel and GVC controls engine drive torque to generate a deceleration G-force, thereby shifting load to the front wheels to increase grip. In a straight line, GVC transfers engine torque to the rear wheels, enhancing stability.
Mazda keeps the CX-9 in the thick of the market in price and content. Just $36,400 will get you into a base, front-wheeldrive GS — not bad for a functional seven-seater. Another $2,500 adds all-wheel drive. Greater content can be had with the GS-L, GT and top-ofthe-line Signature trim (which at $50,300 has Nappa leather upholstery and premium leather stitching, plus open-pore rosewood trim on the centre console and door pull panels, LED interior lighting and even an illuminated front grille.
This particular tester was the $47,750 GT, a fully featured trim that comes with such features as 20-inch wheels, a Bose premium audio system with 12 speakers, GPS navigation, head-up display, memory settings for the driver’s seat, LED front and rear signature lighting and an adaptive front lighting system.
The cabin layout provides good head room and leg room in the first two rows of seats for adults and the 60/40-split bench in the middle row folds forward to provide access to the twoperson third row, which is best left for the kids. Unlike some of the competition, though, there is no walk-through to the back. As for cargo capacity, the CX-9 offers 407 L behind the third row, 1,082 L behind the second row and 2,041 L when both rows are folded flat. This puts the Mazda on the smaller side among its primary three-row rivals.
I remember from the CX-9’S launch that Mazda’s chosen demographic for the more upscale trim levels is a slightly more mature and affluent buyer with at least two older kids. If you fit within that cohort, the CX-9 is an ideal family runabout, though one better suited to onroad adventures than off-road. And even if you don’t fit the parameters imagined by the company’s marketing gurus, it’s still a better crossover than its sales numbers suggest, especially for those who like their vehicles with a little sport to them.
Driving.ca