The new generation of the Mazda CX-9 made its debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show yesterday.
The new CX-9 has been trimmed of some excess fat, with the FWD down by 90kg and the AWD has shed 130kg ,allowing engineers to increase window thickness to help reduce interior noise. The body is 30mm shorter at 5 065mm but it sits on a longer (55mm) wheelbase.
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 that benefits from the Dynamic Pressure Turbo, the “world’s first turbocharger with the ability to vary the degree of exhaust pulsation depending on engine speed”.
The system works similar to one placing your thumb on a hosepipe, creating a strong amount of pressure through a smaller outlet, and it routes engine exhaust to the turbocharger’s turbine through small ports at low rpm. Instant boost is created and, when the engine is revved higher, secondary valves open, allowing larger amounts of exhaust gas to past through the turbocharger.
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.