It’s been a while since Mazda announced that a whole new lineup of vehicles is on the way, based on the new longitudinal RWD platform. Among these new models, there is also a successor to the company’s current flagship SUV, the CX-9. If we can trust the latest reports, this one will come sometime in 2023, probably for the 2024 model year. So, it’s quite easy to conclude that the 2023 Mazda CX-9 will be the final production year of the current generation. At this point, we are still waiting to hear something from the officials but we are pretty sure that this will be a typical carryover model.
So, you may count on a familiar SUV, which still has so many great things to offer, despite the age. It looks great, it’s fun to drive and it offers one of the nicest interiors in the class. Furthermore, we like its long list of standard equipment, while the only major complaints go to the tight third row and small cargo area.
We presume that the 2023 Mazda CX-9 will hit the market sometime in the last quarter of the year.
2023 Mazda CX-9 Design
Considering that this will probably be the final production year of the generation that has been around since 2016, we presume that there will be no bigger changes. We believe that the 2023 Mazda CX-9 will be a typical carryover model, which will bring a design that hasn’t changed for years but which still has so many great things to offer.
Of course, there is the company’s well-known KODO design language, which still looks fresh and appealing but the thing that impresses us most is the chassis and suspension setup, which is excellent. This is by far the most athletic model in the class, which offers surprisingly spry handling for a vehicle of this size.
Interior
The same thing can be said for the interior design – despite the age, everything looks fresh and very upscale. You can clearly see Mazda’s well-known philosophy here, which is characterized by simplistic and elegant dashboard design. Also, the whole cabin is wrapped with high-quality materials, which puts this crossover pretty much on par with premium players.
On the other hand, the main complaint goes to the fact that this cabin is less spacious compared to most rivals. While the first two rows are very spacious and comfortable, the third row is tight and hardly accommodates anyone older than 12 years. The cargo area is also pretty small for the class. It offers around 14.4 cubic feet of space with all the seats up, 38.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 71.2 of the total cargo volume.
Features
Novelties in this aspect are always possible. We might see a couple of additions to the list of standard equipment but we are pretty sure that most of the things will remain the same. For reference, the current model comes standard with goodies like a 10.3-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker stereo, two USB ports, Wi-Fi hot spot, push-button start and tri-zone automatic climate control. Additionally, you can get upgrades like a moonroof, a navigation system, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless device charging, four more USB ports, a satellite radio, and a 12-speaker Bose stereo.
The same thing goes for safety features. All models should come standard with a rearview camera, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Additionally, there are options like front and rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, a driver attention monitor, a surround-view parking camera system, and reverse automatic emergency braking.
2023 Mazda CX-9 Engine
Things under the hood definitely won’t change. The 2023 Mazda CX-9 will continue with the same 2.5-liter turbo-four, which puts out 227 horsepower with standard gasoline. If you use premium gasoline, you may count on a full 250 horsepower and a pretty impressive 320 pound-feet of torque, which is the amount of power that ensures pretty respectable acceleration and overall performance. This mid-size SUV needs just around seven seconds to hit sixty.
The engine comes in pair with a 6-speed automatic transmission, which does a pretty decent job. What we really like is the fuel economy, which goes around 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, which is pretty good for the segment, especially if we consider the standard all-wheel drive.
2023 Mazda CX-9 Release Date and Price
Since we expect the 2023 Mazda CX-9 to be a typical carryover model, we presume that the launch date will happen sometime in the last quarter of the year. Also, the price shouldn’t change much, which means that base versions will probably go around 36.000 dollars. Key competitors should be models like Nissan Pathfinder, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT6 etc.
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