A trailblazer in its own right, it's been replaced by the inline-six-powered CX-90.
The Mazda CX-9 will be discontinued following the 2023 model year. The three-row family hauler, which debuted in 2016, signaled a new era for the Japanese brand, pushing upmarket and changing opinions of what luxury could mean. It offered impressive power (at the time) and respectable fuel economy while cosseting you in comfort and making sure you and your entire family were more than safe. It previewed the Mazda brand we know today, and for that, we must pour one out for such a trailblazer.
Its death very obviously comes from the recent debut of the CX-90. We recently drove the non-hybridized version of the three-row SUV and found it had delivered on what the CX-9 had started all those years ago. It's a true contender to legitimate luxury SUVs coming out of Bavaria and may even put to shame some luxury brands coming out of Japan.
When we first drove the CX-9 all those years ago, we were impressed by the quality of the materials in the cabin along and the vehicle's driving experience. In the words of the review at the time, “With the transmission in Sport and the shifter set to manual, the CX-9 was a joy to drive, effortlessly diving into corners with a grace and stability not found on most three-row crossovers.”
Over the years, it continued to excel with handsome styling and the same enjoyable driving experience, but the shortcomings became more obvious with age, most notably the powertrain. With a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as its only option, The 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque (on premium gas) became less and less compelling, especially with fuel economy only sitting at 20/26/23 mpg city/highway/combined.
The CX-90 improves upon this immensely, now providing a brand-new turbocharged inline-six engine, but also fuel-efficient PHEV options as well. The inline-six offers power improvements from 280 hp all the way to 340 hp and still manages better fuel economy on all trims, too, with 24/28/25 mpg on the 280-hp CX-90 and 23/28/25 mpg on the 340-hp CX-90. The PHEV models haven't released fuel economy just yet, but we know it'll be very good, and the 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque the system will put out will be greatly appreciated too.
The CX-90 is just the culmination of all the hard work the CX-9 did over the years. Mazda was able to perfect the formula, but the CX-9 walked so the CX-90 could run, and for that, we must give recognition where recognition is due.
Add the CX-9 to the list of cars not returning for 2024.
Keyword: Time To Say Goodbye To The Mazda CX-9