|
By
EWAN KENNEDY
4 June 2007
Mazda is running hot on the Australia market, and has been doing
so for quite a while. It’s consistently in number one spot for
imported cars and in recent years has pushed Mitsubishi, a local
manufacturer, out of the way to take a solid fourth spot overall.
But the Japanese marque is certainly not resting
on its laurels, instead it’s about to enter yet another market
segment. This time with a medium-large SUV that can carry up to
seven occupants.
The Mazda CX-9 is aimed at the American market,
with good interior space and plenty of punch from a large
3.5-litre V6 engine. We have similar tastes to our cousins on the
other side of the Pacific, so Australians are likely to fall in
love with it when it arrives here in January 2008.
But Mazda is playing it safe and is already giving
a couple of examples of the CX-9 a thorough working over in local
conditions. One is the left-hand-drive prototype displayed to an
interested audience at the Melbourne Motor Show in March, the
other a prototype right-hand-drive model that has been flow in for
evaluation.
Being well aware that most owners will use a
vehicle like this for suburban driving, Mazda engineers tested
them by running over tram tracks as well as remote bush tracks!
It’s expected that Australian tests will result
in more dynamic settings in the handling/comfort compromise and
firmer steering more suited to Australian drivers’ tastes.
Obviously, they will strive to achieve this with a minimum of loss
of ride comfort.
There may also be electronic changes to the CX-9’s
engine management system to give it more rapid launch off the
mark.
Though the Mazda CX-9’s name would suggest it’s
simply a bigger Mazda CX-7, the new model is actually designed for
quite a different market. Whereas the CX-7 is very much a sporty
crossover and is as much a high-traction hot-hatch as an SUV, the
CX-9 is intended more for the family buyer.
As such it has a squarer rear end to not only give
it improved headroom in the rearmost seats, but also to provide a
decent sized boot. We haven’t had a chance to drive one of the
new Mazda SUVs at this stage, but have had a good look around the
one at the Melbourne show. And came away impressed with the
interior space.
Intelligently, Mazda has revamped the interior of
the CX-9 because Australians will be getting into the back seats
from the opposite side of the car to the Americans. Some importers
don’t go to this trouble and getting into and out of the rear
seats can consequently be a real hassle. Because the flip-down
section of the centre seat is often the larger part, not the more
manageable smaller section.
At this early stage final specifications for the
Mazda CX-9 in Australia have still to be established. But expect
it to come well equipped as the rising value of the Australian
dollar is helping importers of Japanese products to push through
some good deals at the moment. Mazda Australia seems sure to keep
up its pressure on safety features and these are expected to
include electronic stability and rollover protection, as well as a
plethora of airbags.
We anticipate the Mazda CX-9 to come to Australia
with a price list reading from about $55,000 to $60,000.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
