Zoom in. Mastering the Mazda CX-9 — to the envy of the Swede / Mazda test drives

“You shouldn't judge a car by first glance here — our two crossovers differ radically,” says Hideaki Tanaka, the chief of the CX-9 project. “My platform is architecturally close to the CX-7, but it also contains Ford elements. We built the 3.7 V6 engine with 277 horsepower on the basis of the Ford Duratec 3.5 motor, which produces 263 horsepower. It is paired with a Japanese Aisin automatic — six-speed, of course.” Well, yes, and how else. In the States, you won't surprise anyone with a manual; there, it's not customary to yank the stick.

The CX-9, like the CX-7, was made primarily for America — a big Mazda for lovers of big hamburgers. The “Seven” eventually made it to Europe because overseas demand didn't meet expectations, but the CX-9 is not officially planned to be brought to the Old World — it's too large. But to Russia — yes, they will bring it: here it's customary to measure who has bigger. The Swedish presentation was arranged specifically for Russian journalists — our market is now the main one for Mazda. Sales will start already in autumn, a year ahead of schedule: the local representative office doesn't want to yield a tasty morsel to “gray” dealers. True, there's no hint of serious adaptation here: for Russia, the crossover has different optics, retuned radio frequencies, and additional anti-corrosion treatment. That's all. There's still no engine protection.

But here there is the space that the CX-7 lacks. Otherwise, the interior is familiar: the signature Mazda atmosphere, diluted by a wide central console and tunnel, as if borrowed from Chrysler. The trim is richer, and there's also a third row of seats. And, pleasingly, there's no talk of cramped quarters in the “gallery”: two adults of average height can easily fit there — fortunately, the second-row seats can be slid forward. If you fold both rear rows, the CX-9 turns into a real cargo van. It's no wonder the Swedes look at this crossover with the same delight as children at Carlson — this country loves spacious station wagons. But do we need a third row? Of course not! Therefore, Russian dealers will bet on prestige, Japanese quality, and Zoom-Zoom. They say the CX-9 is the most dynamic and sporty car in its class.

The combination of two-tone plastic with imitation “wood” and “aluminum” is for amateurs.
The central console has become even wider than in the CX-7. It's a pity the display hasn't grown: reading information from it on the go is not easy.
The CX-9 in Sport trim is 297 thousand rubles more expensive than the similar CX-7. But the “Nine” has one more Bose speaker (ten in total), the steering column adjusts for reach, the climate control is three-zone, and the driver's seat has memory. True, there's no xenon or headlight washers, as in the CX-7.

And who, excuse me, are its classmates at all? Against the background of American “sport-utes,” the CX-9 is fire! But if you compare it with the CX-7, the big and unhurried Mazda gives the impression of a car for retirees. There's an abundance of car here, but “zoom-zoom” per hundredweight of mass is scarce. However, for Swedish roads, this is an ideal option. Here, speed limits are strictly enforced. Fifty, seventy — and the CX-9 doesn't provoke any desire to violate.

The second-row seats move forward, and the backrests adjust for tilt. The car is considered six-seater — by the number of seat belts. The American version seats seven.
In the trunk floor, there's a niche for tools and small items. The spare tire hangs under the bottom. In America, the massive trunk door is equipped with an electric drive, but in “our” CX-9, instead of the drive button, there's a plug.
Most Russian owners of the CX-9 will carry the “gallery” folded: here they buy not it, but the status of the flagship model.

The torquey “six” with a volume of 3.7 fully justifies expectations: it easily launches two tons from a standstill (I hope the police didn't notice), but there's no fire in it. Is it even needed? But what a fine gearbox it got to help! It shifts quickly and smoothly — down immediately by two, three, four gears — and in manual mode honestly hangs at the 6500 rpm cutoff. A successful and versatile duo.

The torquey engine easily accelerates the two-ton car. It's important that the brakes are also good, and the ABS operates delicately.

The suspension is comfortable, but it doesn't make the crossover excessively rolly: the car responds decently to provocations, and body oscillations quickly dampen. But the steering wheel confuses. At low speeds, it's a bit stiff, but with increasing speed, the effort near zero becomes liquid, then gaseous, and Zoom-Zoom evaporates. On a straight line, you constantly have to correct. It's good that in corners, the connection with the wheels returns — the CX-9 no longer forces you to search for a trajectory. Tanaka-san admits: the settings remain American, and on highways, European hypersensitivity is unnecessary. Perhaps by the start of Russian sales, the steering characteristics will be refined.

Expecting off-road feats from the all-wheel-drive transmission with a multi-disc clutch on the rear axle would be naive. We'll have to study its ultimate capabilities at home, because finding off-road in Sweden is quite a task. Private property — barrier — again private property. Boring! And as soon as we found a dirt road, they immediately started shooting at us. Bang-bang-bang! — bullets drum on the body. We brake hard — we get out to surrender: Peace-Volvo-IKEA! It turned out we were under friendly fire: it's our own wheels throwing gravel into the wheel arches. Sound insulation worthy of a “prestigious” Mazda is not provided here.

And there's no xenon yet — the crossover for 1,557,000 rubles has halogen headlights. But for an extra 25 thousand, you can order a sunroof with an electric drive. The Japanese, however, promise xenon in 2009, and by autumn — to equip the CX-9 with engine protection, parking sensors, which are clearly lacking, and possibly navigation. But even if the Mazda is packed with everything required, it won't have an easy life: competition in this segment is fierce. And since the third row of seats is not an argument for our buyer, Mazda has one remedy for all — Zoom-Zoom. And against the no less “zoomy” CX-7 — an optical effect. Zoom in.

Technical specifications

Specifications	Mazda CX-9 Sport
Body
Number of doors/seats	5/6
Length, mm	5089
Width, mm	1936
Height, mm	1728
Wheelbase, mm	2875
Track front/rear, mm	1654/1644
Curb weight, kg	2040
Gross weight, kg	2712
Trunk volume, l	267–1991
Engine
Type	petrol
Location	front, transverse
Number and arrangement of cylinders	6, V-shaped
Number of valves	24
Displacement, cm³	3726
Max power, hp/rpm	277/6250
Max torque, Nm/rpm	366/4250
Transmission
Gearbox	automatic, six-speed
Drive	all-wheel
Chassis
Front suspension	independent, McPherson
Rear suspension	independent, multi-link
Front brakes	disc, ventilated
Rear brakes	disc, ventilated
Ground clearance, mm	204
Performance characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h	181
Acceleration time 0–100 km/h, s	10.1
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
urban cycle	18.4
extra-urban cycle	9.9
combined cycle	13
Toxicity standard	Euro-4
Fuel tank capacity, l	76
Fuel	AI-95

Equipment of the tested car Basic equipment

ABS
Dynamic stability control DSC
Front airbags
Side airbags for front passengers
Inflatable curtains
Driver's seat with electric drive and height adjustment
Heated front seats
Electric windows
Exterior mirrors with electric drive and heating
Three-zone climate control
Rain sensor
On-board computer
Cruise control
Leather interior trim
Bose audio system with MP3 support
CD changer
Fog lights
Immobilizer
Keyless entry system
Alarm system
Alloy wheels 245/50 R20

The equipment list includes a compact temporary spare instead of a full-size spare wheel. Among the options is a power sunroof. The base version is priced at 1,557,000 rubles, which is equivalent to $65,490.

Technical specifications

When the CX-9 first came into existence, the Japanese did not have a suitable engine of their own with sufficient power, so for the first year of production the crossover made do with a Ford gasoline naturally aspirated Duratec V6 with a displacement of 3.5 liters, producing 263 horsepower. This unit with aluminum block and heads, as well as a sequential valve timing system, became the basis for Mazda's own engine — the MZI V6 3.7 with 277 hp. It turned out to be the most powerful in the Japanese brand's lineup and the first V6 created by the company in the last five years.

A diesel version for the CX-9 is not yet planned. The appearance of such an engine directly depends on how quickly the main market for the model — the United States — adopts diesel. In the future, the Japanese are also considering Ford units, but they stipulate: a diesel CX-9 must at least not be inferior to the gasoline version in terms of torque characteristics.

Platform and drive

The CX-9 is based on a "hybrid" platform: at the front there is a McPherson suspension from Mazda, and at the rear — a multi-link design from Ford. The same architecture served as the base for the American Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX. However, the Japanese assure that they have worked extensively on the chassis of their crossover for the sake of the signature "zoom-zoom".

The all-wheel drive CX-9 is equipped with an active torque distribution system. The multi-plate clutch, borrowed from the "six" MPS, allows torque to be distributed in the range from 100:0 in favor of the front wheels to a fair 50:50. However, no off-road modes or special tools are provided here.

Japanese opinion

Masahiro Moro, who holds the post of Vice President of Marketing at Mazda Europe, is well aware of the tastes of the Russian audience. According to his observations, we, like Europeans, value expressive design, clear handling, and solid interiors, but at the same time we noticeably more often buy large cars. As for power units, here Russians are close to Americans: respect for gasoline engines and automatic transmissions. That is why on the Russian market the Mazda2 and CX-7 are offered with automatic transmissions, while in Europe there are no such modifications. By the same logic, the CX-9 was also addressed to us. Mr. Moro believes that the combination of Japanese and American origins of this model has not hurt it. He also noted that the development of each car takes the company about four years, and in the case of the CX-9, no one anticipated a rapid growth in Russian sales or a program of serious adaptation to local conditions. But perhaps "Mazdas" with a pronounced Russian accent will appear — the flexibility of production allows adapting to the specifics of a particular market. Analysts predict at least another five years of stable growth for Russia, and natural resources should be sufficient for this.

Why Sweden?

Evening Stockholm lives its own life: bars and discos are packed, schools have graduation balls, and Porsches with bassy exhausts drive by every now and then. And here is the question: why was Sweden chosen as the venue for the CX-9 presentation? Not at all because family values are elevated to a cult here, the roads are full of huge American cars from the 60s-70s, and the landscapes sometimes painfully resemble Russian ones. It would seem that all this should hint at the "Mazda CX-9". But the reason is much more prosaic — these days Sweden had sunny and very hot weather, and the forecast for other European countries did not please the Japanese. By the way, in parallel with the CX-9 presentation, the company was conducting test drives of the three-door Mazda2 in the vicinity of Stockholm. Russian representatives were not invited there — this little car is not for us yet.