Mazda next big SUV thing hits Oz

MAZDA’S CX-9 will make its public debut outside of North America tomorrow, when the big new seven-seat SUV makes its debut at the Melbourne International Motor Show.

On sale here from January next year, the big five-door wagon will be priced from around $55,000 for the base model and $60,000 for the Luxury.

Both variants will include the Mazda-first Roll Stability Control (that negates the effect of too much body lean), as well as stability control, anti-lock brakes, six airbags, dual-zone air-conditioning and cruise control. The CX-9 Luxury also has 20-inch wheels.

Mazda is also toying with the idea of introducing new options such as GPS satellite-navigation, an electrically operated tailgate and ‘Keyless Go’ remote key access, although the company does not want it to be perceived as too expensive.

More than just a super-sized CX-7, despite their visual similarities, the Hiroshima-built CX-9 boasts a bespoke body, interior and platform derived off the Japan-only third-generation MPV people-mover rather than the Mazda6/5-Premacy II/3 amalgamation of the smaller SUV.

Dimensional differences between the CX-9 and CX-7 include length (5071mm versus 4680mm), width (1936mm versus 1872mm), height 1729mm versus 1645mm), wheelbase (2875mm versus 2750mm) and front/rear track (1654/1644mm versus 1617/1612mm).

Mazda expects the CX-9 to offer best-in-class second and third-row space and "real comfort", aided by nearly 660mm of access room, a single-motion seat latch and slide mechanism, one-step fold-flat seats, a flat floor area and a minimum of 480 litres of luggage space.

A brief acquaintance with the vehicle suggests that Mazda may be correct.

Powering it is a Ford-derived 3.5-litre twin-cam 60-degree angle V6 engine producing 186kW of power at 6250rpm and 325Nm of torque at 4500rpm.

The sole transmission on offer will be a six-speed automatic with a Tiptronic-style Activematic function.

Like in the CX-7, drive is delivered to the front wheels, until sensors detect slippage or a loss of traction prompts Mazda’s "Active Torque Split" all-wheel drive system, brought in from the Mazda6 MPS, to apportion up to 50 per cent of torque to the rear wheels.

Suspension is by struts at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, while a rack-and-pinion steering set-up is used.

The CX-9 is a change of tact for Mazda, as it strives to secure sales from people-movers as well as rival SUVs offering three rows of seating. Previously it has relied solely on the slow-selling – and now discontinued – MPV to achieve this.

So vehicles as diverse as the Ford Territory, Nissan Patrol and Toyota Tarago are targets.

The CX-9 will also represent Mazda in the luxury segment, being a belated replacement for the 929 sedan, discontinued in 1997.

Mazda is making much noise about the CX-9’s Australian focus, which includes converting the second-row seat for easy right-hand drive third-row access (requiring some underfloor re-engineering), and seatbelt mounting-point revisions.

At this point, no other right-hand drive market is slated to see the vehicle. Japan and the UK market have both knocked it back on the grounds that it is too big.

"If Australia had not asked for the CX-9, Mazda would not have developed it for right-hand drive," according to Mazda’s national PR manager, Alastair Doak.

We asked Mr Doak if it is not more logical for Mazda to call the seven-seater CX-9 the ‘CX-7’ to reflect the number of seats on board.

His response is that naming the five-seater CX-7 the ‘CX-5’ does not fit in with Mazda’s sizing policy, since it is slightly larger than the current Six, while the CX-9 is an apt name since it is the largest SUV than the company makes.

Meanwhile, the smaller replacement for the forthcoming Tribute SUV, the 2008 CX-5, will barely be larger than the Mazda3. Sadly, with the Geneva motor show starting next week, Mazda says the timing was out of whack for Melbourne show-goers to catch a glimpse of the next-generation Mazda2 light car, which is making its world debut at the Swiss event.