Mazda gets it right big time with CX-9

Mazda CX-9. Photo / Supplied

Making cool-looking supercars is easy because there are few packaging restraints. The genius of Mazda is that it takes humble family cars and makes them sexy.

Consider the CX-9 crossover: it is a high-riding, practical mover-of-people that still looks lithe and beautifully proportioned. That is pretty clever. But you can see that in the photograph.

What you cannot see in the image is what makes the CX-9 styling especially clever: although it looks lithe and sporty it is also scary-big.

At 5.1 metres in length, it is 400mm longer than Mazda's similar-looking CX-7 and substantially larger than seven-seat rivals like the Ford Territory and Hyundai Santa Fe. Why so large? Simple: CX-9 was designed primarily for the American market.

The CX-9 boasts a 3.7-litre engine - the only six-cylinder model in the brand's local line-up - and tips the scales at nearly 2.1 tonnes. Even though it is just launched here, it also dates way back to 2007.

What is the point, then? Well, the crossover market is still booming and Mazda New Zealand has found it can offer a large amount of metal for your money in the CX-9.

At $59,990, it's great value compared with its rivals and comes elaborately equipped, with full leather upholstery, power everything and three-zone climate-control air conditioning. A reversing camera is standard and necessary, since the fashionably high waistline restricts visibility.

The CX-9 also wears 20-inch alloy wheels, which contribute to that sense of styling proportion and enable you to hold your head high as you mix it up in city traffic among top-line Audi Q7s and BMW X5s.

The exterior might be sexy, but it is the inside that counts for buyers of this type of vehicle. The CX-9's cabin is beautifully finished and classy, with dark hues and plenty of buttons to play with. You get the brand's signature red instrument illumination and thumping stereo, although I was surprised to find an aftermarket Parrot Bluetooth kit instead of a factory set-up.

Passenger space is as generous as you would expect from a vehicle of this size. The second and third-row seats drop with a single click of a lever - the luggage space is modest at a supermini-like 267 litres in seven-seat configuration, but is boosted to a deeply impressive 928 litres with the third row folded.

The CX-9 is big, luxurious and practical. But here is something you might not be expecting: it is great to drive. The 3.7-litre engine is strong, smooth and very flexible, driving through a six-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. But it is not thrifty: combined economy is 11.3 litres per 100km but, in my week of city-biased driving, I could do no better than 18 litres per 100km. That'll be the reality for many owners.

The CX-9 rides well despite the 20-inch rims and corners with real precision. If you can afford to run it and have space to park it, it is pretty hard to fault the CX-9 for style, performance and practicality.

It does not feel like a 4-year-old design: it is polished in every respect and highly competitive.

The bottom line:

If size matters then we have found your new seven-seat family express. The American-style CX-9 offers a surfeit of good looks, space, equipment and quality for $59,990. The big petrol engine and expertly tuned chassis are sporty, but the downside is the potential for scary thirst.

Petrol engine too thirsty for market

Because the CX-9 is designed primarily for the American market, diesel power has never been considered for this model.

Will that throaty-but-thirsty V6 petrol engine hold it back in New Zealand?

We'd have to say yes. Toyota's Highlander still sells well with the same petrol-only ethos, but the Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Territory offer petrol and diesel powerplants - and place much more emphasis on the latter.

With 91-octane now more than $2 per litre, that's not surprising.

Alternatives:

Dodge Journey R/T
$49,990
Ford Territory Titanium RWD
$59,990
Holden Captiva LX V6
$55,890
Hyundai Santa Fe Elite V6 FWD
$60,990
Toyota Highlander
$58,990