2007 Mazda CX-9 Preview

Mazda barely gave the paint a chance to dry on the new CX-7 crossover SUV before rolling out another all-purpose family hauler called the CX-9 at the 2006 New York Auto Show. The 2007 Mazda CX-9, designed to carry up to seven passengers, looks quite similar to the smaller CX-7, but Mazda insists that the CX-9 is not a stretched CX-7, and neither is the CX-7 a shrunken CX-9. If you look closely enough, you can see that these are, indeed, two separate vehicles that share just a few bits of the Mazda 6 underneath the sheetmetal. Though it’s larger to accommodate more passengers, the 2007 CX-9 will, like all Mazdas, possess “the soul of a sportscar” with “strong performance, agile handling, precise steering, and superior quality and craftsmanship,” according to its manufacturer. Mazda also says it “sets new standards for style, while incorporating an interior of sophisticated elegance with class-leading space and unmatched versatility.” Certainly, the young couples, active families, and empty nesters that Mazda has identified as likely CX-9 customers will put these claims to the test when the CX-9 goes on sale this fall in Sports, Touring, and Grand Touring trim levels.

Why it matters

Clearly, the aging Tribute just isn’t cutting it for Mazda, no matter that it’s a fundamentally sound SUV. A dynamic company like this, which touts performance and handling as its key attributes, needs a true crossover in the lineup, and now Mazda has two: the CX-7 and the CX-9 that debuted in New York.

What’s under the hood

The 2007 Mazda CX-9 gets a 3.5-liter V6 engine with variable valve timing, preliminarily rated to drive 250 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque to the front or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode. This is the same drivetrain as found in the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, optionally attached to Mazda’s Active Torque Split AWD system, which can transfer as much as 50 percent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels. In keeping with Mazda’s product philosophy, the CX-9 also gets ventilated four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution. Other hardware details include engine-speed sensitive power rack-and-pinion steering that guides standard 18-inch wheels wearing P245/60 tires on Sport and Touring models. The 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring is equipped with multi-spoke 20-inch wheels wearing P245/50 rubber. The CX-9’s rims are bolted to a MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear suspension with anti-roll bars, and when 20-inch tread isn’t enough to keep you in control the standard Dynamic Stability Control and Roll Stability Control systems should keep the sporty SUV stable. Obviously, we didn’t drive the 2007 Mazda CX-9, but Robert Davis, Mazda’s senior vice president of product development and quality, promised that this SUV is “a lot of laughs at Laguna Seca.”

What’s inside

Mazda loads the 2007 CX-9 with plenty of standard equipment, including air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with keyless entry, and cruise control in the base price. Options include a power operated liftgate with one-touch open and close, leather upholstery, HID headlights, and rain-sensing wipers. Mazda’s also got you covered on the safety front. The 2007 CX-9 comes with six standard airbags including dual front, dual front side impact, and side curtain airbags for all three rows that remain inflated for up to six seconds during a rollover accident. The front headrests are designed to limit whiplash, too. Mazda strove to improve materials quality and panel fit in the 2007 CX-9, and upon first inspection, it shows. The inset gauges cluster is reminiscent of Audi Q7 and Subaru B9 Tribeca, bathed in a soft blue backlighting. Metallic trim accents give the CX-9 an upscale, technical ambience, and Mazda equips the SUV with indirect lighting elements for the door panels and center console. Rear seat riders get a 60/40-split bench with five inches of legroom-expanding fore/aft travel, while folks in the third-row sit on a 50/50-split seat basking in what Mazda says is class-leading space – though we thought head room was rather tight. Access to the third-row seat is simple thanks to a one-handed seat collapsing mechanism for the second-row bench. And if you must carry seven passengers, the 2007 Mazda CX-9 offers 17.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat. Note that Mazda’s Robert Davis told the assembled press during the CX-9 press conference that it’s third-row seat has the “best natural seating position of any three-row seat SUV in North America.” We’re pretty sure that Davis, who did not use a prepared speech or a Teleprompter during his presentation, meant to qualify this statement by comparing the CX-9 to other vehicles in the class.

What we think

Crossover SUV sales are on fire, especially as fuel prices climb, and the 2007 Mazda CX-9 positions the company to reap the benefits of consumer interest in such vehicles. At first glance, you might wonder how this is different from any number of similar vehicles, but if it rides, drives, and handles like other Mazda products, the CX-9 is sure to be one fun family hauler.

Photos by Ron Perry and courtesy of Mazda