Mazda Motor Corporation has started assembly of the new CX-9, large SUV, at its Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima, Japan.
The first units of the CX-9 are bound for the US and Canada with the US being the main target market.
The cabin can seat seven, in three rows of seats, has LED accent lighting, four USB ports, a Bose sound system, an infotainment system displayed on a 7- or 8-inch touchscreen. For the driver the gauges are displayed on 4.6-inch screen with a colour heads-up display projected onto the lower part of the windshield.
While the previous generation used a 3.7-liter V6, the latest CX-9 uses a new 2.5-liter force-fed four-cylinder. The powertrain produces 186kW at 5 000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque at 2 000 rpm. The only transmission available is a six-speed automatic.