The presentation of the Mazda CX-9 for the Russian market took place in an unexpected location — in Uzbekistan. We set off to test the crossover in real conditions along the route Samarkand — Tashkent. The journey, not counting the straight line, stretched over three hundred kilometers.
The roads in Uzbekistan differ little from Russian ones: smooth asphalt is interspersed with potholes and bumps. Another local feature is freely roaming livestock. So, not far from Charvak, which is called the pearl of Uzbekistan, a flock of sheep suddenly appeared in front of us on the highway. At that moment, the brakes performed particularly well — the large crossover stopped as if it were a small toy.
Despite its impressive size, the car surprises with its ease of handling. The acceleration dynamics also deserve special mention: the crossover reaches 100 km/h in 10.1 seconds. This agility is provided by a new 3.7-liter gasoline engine producing 277 horsepower at 6250 rpm. The motor also boasts serious torque — 366 Nm at 4250 rpm. Engineers incorporated a high compression ratio (10.3) and electronic throttle control, resulting in an instantaneous throttle response. The maximum speed of this giant is 181 km/h.
On the highway, the CX-9 can confidently be called a benchmark of comfort. The sound insulation deserves a solid five. But even light off-road conditions are not daunting for this newcomer to the Russian market, as confirmed during an excursion near the Charvak reservoir. The large ground clearance and high-mounted bumpers allow for confident exits from asphalt onto dirt roads. However, serious obstacles are best avoided — after all, the native element of this car is smooth asphalt highways.