Specifications and pricing have been announced for the 2019 Mazda CX-9 range, the seven-seat SUV finally nabs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with a new flagship Azami LE variant.
The upgraded CX-9 is the first Mazda SUV to incorporate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto into the MZD Connect infotainment system.
Also standard across the range is an updated version of Mazda’s i-Activesense safety package which now includes radar cruise control with stop & go function, smart brake support, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam.
Every CX-9 variant also scores a head-up display and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Azami models get some addition luxury by way of front seat ventilation, heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera system, seven-inch multi-information driver display housed in the instrument cluster, windscreen de-icer and a frameless rear-vision mirror.
The Azami LE becomes the new flagship variant, Mazda states the LE offers “the most sophisticated Mazda CX-9 cabin yet.” To kick things up a notch, the interior of the LE features Chroma Brown nappa leather seat trim, genuine wood decorative panels on the doors and centre console, ambient LED lighting and box stitching on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Spiffy.
To improve the driving experience engineers have made revisions to the suspension and steering system and added low-friction dampers and recalibrated springs which apparently deliver “a more linear driving feel and greater ride comfort.”
In order to achieve greater steering feel the outer ball joint and steering knuckle have been redesigned, while the rigidity of the front hub bearings and steering mounts have been increased to sharpen the steering responsiveness.
It wouldn’t be a Mazda press release without mentioning the process of improving noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels, an area Mazda doesn’t seem capable of mastering. In the CX-9 Mazda has deployed tuned mass dampers, vibration-reducing powertrain mounts, changes to the second-row seat rails, increased steering column rigidity, a revised headliner and use of the steering wheel-mounted airbag as a tuned-mass damper. Let’s hope these measures lead to a noticeable change.
All CX-9 models continue to use a 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 170kW and 420Nm, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Read our review of the 2019 Mazda CX-9 by clicking here.
2019 Mazda CX-9 pricing (excludes on-road costs):
Sport FWD - $44,990
Sport AWD - $48,990
Touring FWD - $51,390
Touring AWD - $55,390
GT FWD - $59,390
GT AWD - $63,390
Azami FWD - $60,990
Azami AWD - $64,990
Azami LE AWD - $66,490 (new)
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