Test Drive Mazda CX-9 since 2007 SUV

Sweet feeling

The full-sized crossover Mazda CX-9 was created specifically for the American market and from the beginning of the year is already sold in the United States. But it is impossible to exclude that this stylish SUV will be presented in Russia.
To be or not to be? Perhaps, for the first time, the answer to this question depends on my opinion. The supply of CX-9 to our country will begin in the event that Mazda dealers can sell at least 2,000 cars per year. Otherwise, the game is not worth the candle costs for certification, adaptation of the car, building logistics will eat all possible profits. Who does not risk, he does not drink champagne, you will say. Do you have any examples when there are cars of famous brands sold with tiny circulations? But the Mazda company is small (by world car standards) and therefore cannot afford risky experiments. It is necessary to weigh everything well.
 
Exploration was decided to send automotive journalists. Our small landing land in California. Task: Start by law-abiding American motorists (not forgetting that, what exactly loves any Russian) and explore the object Mazda CX-9. According to the results of intelligence, it is necessary to give its conclusion: how big is the chances of this car to gain popularity in Russia? I note that only Russian journalists were represented by the European Automobile Press. Respect automakers of our generous buyer, oh, how do you respect! For Mazda, Russia, we will remind, today the third (after England and Germany) market in Europe, but at the same time the fastest growing.
Zoom-Zoom does not happen much
It only seems that Mazda CX-9 enlarged clone CX-7. Style and handwriting are easily recognizable, although cars painted in different studios: CX-7 in Japan, and CX-9 in California. But if the CX-7 and CX-9 put nearby (we managed to do it in the parking lot near the California design studio Mazda), it becomes obvious how these cars differ!
CX-7 is more rounded, light, playful. CX-9 sharper, stricter, solid. Two related cars have a fundamentally different front and rear optics. Curses of the exhaust system at CX-7 round, at CX-9 rectangular. CX-7 bumpers are painted in the color of the car, the CX-9 body is glad by the apron of black plastic. Machines have a completely different design of the front. But the main thing that rushes into the eyes when they cost there, this is what CX-9 is noticeably larger than CX-7. Only against the background of the younger brother it becomes clear that the CX-9 car is not just big, but very large.
CX-9 wheelbase is one of the most impressive in class: 2.88 m. This is a full-fledged 7-seater car! A little bit enough, without any damage for passengers, move forward the second row of seats, and two adult men of the standard set can be accommodated on the gallery. At the same time, the luggage place will remain!
I do not think that the third row of the seats owners of the CX-9 will be used more often than ten-fifteen times a year (I know about it from our own Opel Zafira owner). The one who needs to regularly transport many passengers will buy a minivan. The third row of seats is primarily the marketing trap from the category 5-seater SUV is good, but 7-seater is better. Curious observation: the extreme left strip in Highways in the vicinity of Los Angeles is given to cars in which there is at least one passenger. And it is almost always free! But the remaining five or six bands are clogged with cars carrying air! So the floodplains of Americans specifically for which Mazda created a 7-seater SUV.
Despite its impressive sizes, CX-9 does not look cumbersome and heavy. The designers coped with their task to have a very large car with sports and dynamic appearance. Especially winning it looks against the background of typical American SUVs of huge, cargo and at the same time some deliberately impractical.
The interior of Mazda, in my opinion, the embodiment of the verified style. It does not have aggressiveness inherent in sedans and the Mazda hatchbacks, but it is impossible to call it boring. The three-spoke steering wheel, the seats with pronounced side support (its presence is emphasized by the leather inserts of a different color), dial with metallized rims, the red lights of the instruments bring a simplicity of sports in the classic interior. The quality of assembly and materials do not cause complaints. Performance at the level of Lexus and car German premium brands.
Inside and outside CX-9 looks not just for his money, but much more expensive than he really is. In the US, the front-wheel drive version of the crossover in the richest configuration costs 37 thousand dollars. For the same money in Russia, you can only buy a Mazda 6 stationer in a similar configuration
In addition to high-quality assembly and space in the SC-9 salon pleases with its friendliness to the driver and passengers. In order to get on the third row of seats, one hand movement is enough to release the lock of the second row of chairs and moving their forward. Two separate seats of the third row folded with comfortable loops on the back of the back pulled out for them, and the chairs are stacked in the floor with the floor.
Behind the wheel of the crossover will be convenient to people of any complex. The chair has a wide range of adjustments, the steering column is configured in two directions.
Disadvantages in ergonomics? Need to search...
CD discs are inconvenient to the music center. To do this, you need to fold the navigator screen. The tape recorder control panel is displayed on the same sensory control screen, so you have to choose: listen to music or look at the card. I did not like too small buttons for selecting the functions of the multimedia center: To switch, for example, with navigating music or from the CD player on the radio, you have to be distracted from the road. On a sunny day, the multimedia system control screen is greatly challenged, and there would be nothing terrible in this, but the rear view camera is displayed on it. The sun is illuminated by the image, and for some reason Parktronic at CX-9. Perhaps, on this claim to designers and interior developers, I have ends. But how robs CX-9? I hope that more expensive than 37 thousand dollars.
Rides just like?
The creators of Mazda CX-9, as they say, no one has drawn behind the tongue. Design obliges. From this car are waiting for something special. Externally CX-9 may well be with top models of the BMW Class X5 and Porsche Cayenne. Will he make them competition in the sketch characteristics?
 
For CX-9, a completely new 3.5-liter V6 with a capacity of 263 hp is offered. This is the first and only 6-cylinder V-shaped engine in the current Mazda model range. The motor turned out to be quiet, balanced, responsive, but without a light. Yes, there are also sharp starts from traffic lights, and dashing overtakes, but sometimes there was a feeling of a lack of thrust under the gas pedal. However, the situation saves a perfectly working 6-range automatic. During intense overtaking at high speeds, AISIN box, as a rule, switches to two or three gears down, works very quickly and smoothly, there are practically no breaks in the power stream.
 
Maximum torque 337 nm Motor CX-9 develops at 4500 rpm. For more convenient control, I would like to have more point in the lower range of the rotational speed of the crankshaft. In principle, the machine has a manual control mode, but in its use I did not see the point: the ACP and itself in time and quickly switches the transmissions. And constantly unwinding the motor to the maximum speed of desire did not occur. The indispensable benefits of the CX-9 motor can also be attributed to the engine digested gasoline even with an octane number of 87.
 
Mazda philosophy Uncompromising: Soul sports car in every car. For CX-9, no exception was going to do. Suspension of all wheels independent, front McPherson type, rear multi-dimensional, powerful front and rear transverse stability stabilizers, 20-inch high-speed category V (for Sport and Touring options are 18-inch). It would seem that Mazda engineers did everything so that the car was driving the same sports, as it looked. But the feelings of complete unity and mutual understanding in the case of CX-9 I did not arise. It seemed a strange combination of suspension and steering settings. Suspension is clamped, it is necessary to think, especially for an active ride, but the steering wheel has clearly insufficient feedback. Effort on the steering wheel is some kind of artificial. When turning turns and during rebuildings at high speeds, it has to be slightly guided in attempts to calculate the desired trajectory. It is possible that such an imbalance is caused by the steering power steering settings.
 
As for the smoothness of the stroke, then it is not all unambiguous. In the behavior of the CX-9 there is no hint of pluggerness and rash. Its passengers do not immediately indicate. However, the small irregularities of the road the car works overly in detail, at the joints of the asphalt, concrete slabs, on the lying police body and sediments are pretty shakes. Perhaps excessive, in my opinion, in civil modes, the stiffness of the suspension is caused by 20-inch tires. I do not exclude that the 18-inch car will be more comfortable.
 
CX-9 as standard equipment front-wheel drive car. As an option for the American market, a full drive system of Active Torque Split All-Wheel Drive is proposed, similar to those installed on 6 MPS and CX-7. In the usual situation, the entire torque is transmitted to the front wheels. With a sharp acceleration or if one of the front wheels begins to slip, part of the thrust (up to 50%) is transmitted to the rear wheels.
 
Liked the brakes. The CX-9 brake system is so that the slowdown depends more on the effort on the brake pedal than from its stroke. This makes the process of slowing more informative.
 
To the acoustic comfort (which is sin to hide, this is the stumbling block of many Mazda cars) CX-9 creators approached responsibly: the motor is practically not heard, the aerodynamic noise and the sound of tires in the cabin do not penetrate. And if it seems to you that in the car is completely quiet, boredom disks the Bose stereo.
It's time to draw conclusions based on the results of intelligence and answer the assigned question: will this crossover successful in Russia successful? Mazda CX-9 kind of unique product. It looks three times more expensive than its price, goes at least one and a half. However, all this is true only for the American market, where all-wheel drive CX-9 in the base version of the top-end configuration of the Grand Touring costs only 34 thousand dollars! In Russia (if it is decided to supply the car to our market), of course, it will cost much more expensive, by analogy with CX-7 at least one and a half times. And even in this case, the prices of CX-9 will remain quite competitive, especially since he does not have real competitors here. So, CX-9 in the Russian market has excellent chances. After all, it is very familiar with the sweet feeling that causes a quality thing, bought for reasonable money!
Technical characteristics of Mazda CX-9
Dimensions, mm 5074x1936x1728
Base, mm 2875
Engine type gasoline V6
Working volume, cube. See 3496.
Max. Power, hp / rpm 263/6250
Max. Moment, nm / rpm 338/4600
Transmission Automatic 6-Range
Tires 245/60 ZR18.
Max. Speed, km / h 200
Acceleration time 0-100 km, with no data
Fuel consumption (medium), l / 100 km 17.7
Volume of tank, l 76
Igor Komarov
Photo by the author and manufacturer firms
 
 

A source: Magazine "Autopanoram"