2022 MAZDA CX-9 LUXURY SUV CROSSOVER

2022 MAZDA CX-9 LUXURY SUV CROSSOVER

Posted on March 30, 2022

The Mazda CX-9 is the automaker’s flagship vehicle and offers a high level of luxury, performance and sophistication in a stylish and roomy body with three-row seating for seven passengers. It’s a medium to large SUV with handsome, restrained styling rather like some of its often-more-expensive rivals. The upscale look is finished off with a large traditional-looking grille – another feature favoured by builders of high-end SUV crossovers.

Part of the appeal of this Mazda is its three-row seating which and resulting room for seven occupants to be comfortably carried. For larger families, it’s an alternative to a minivan. Anyone with three kids will confirm that as they’re growing up, SUVs with two-row seating soon become cramped. Mazda does offer an interesting departure from conventional seat layout with optional ‘captain’s’ seating and these units swivel to offer some interesting possibilities on long road trips.

Mazda offers a quite lengthy list of trim packages for this vehicle including GS, GS-L, GT, Kuro Edition and Signature. All variants use a Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This produces an impressive 250-horsepower and a solid 320 lb-ft of torque. It’s not long ago when only racing engines would develop 100-horsepower per litre. You do need 93-octane gas to get the full power level. The engine will run on regular 87-octane fuel but
horsepower is cut back to 227, still generous enough for most users.

All CX-9s have Mazda’s i-Activ all-wheel drive system. The equipment roster for the entry level GS is surprisingly lengthy and includes many features that rival automakers charge extra for. As you move up the trim packages, you reach a level where your CX-9 is right in there with the most luxurious and lavishly kitted out SUV crossovers. The Kuro Edition is appealing in that it comes standard with heated second-row captain’s chairs and all the interior trim is red leather.

The CX-9 is a handsome, roomy, luxuriously-equipped vehicle that deserves more attention from the market. It’s a close rival for many upscale products that cost a lot more and that feature alone makes it well worth careful scrutiny by buyers in this class.

SPECS AT A GLLANCE:
BODY STYLE: 7-passenger crossover SUV
ENGINE: 2.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic
TOWING CAPACITY: 3,500-lbs
FUEL ECONOMY: 10.5-litres/100 km combined
PRICE: Base MSRP, $40,950