2019 Mazda CX-9 Review in UAE - Specs, Price, Photos, Videos

[Car Reviews]

2019 Mazda CX-9

Mazda has spent the last four decades selling cheap, fun cars, and then pumping the money they save into technological advancement. What a refreshing change from the greed-driven industry practices of today. After all, it was Kenichi Yamamoto of Mazda who had the courage to produce a rotary-engine sports car, the Cosmo, at a time when British sports cars were the mainstay. Several great things have come out of Mazda’s projects, from the SkyActive engines that push the limits of fuel-injected efficiency, to the Furai concept that looked extra-terrestrial.

The 2019 Mazda CX-9 is a worthy contender in the SUV segment, even though it isn’t really geared-up for the trail. This is due to the fact that a lot of people who do buy SUV's aren’t interested in off-roading. They just want a big car to carry people and things, and in 2019, SUV's are our station-wagons. The CX-9 has all-wheel-drive and other things that improve how it feels on the road.

Exterior-wise this is a big car. The grille is angled, like a ship’s hull. The headlights are long and sleek, and the chrome from the grille pierces them. The fog lights are tiny, located down below at the bottom of the bumper, where no-one can see them. Mazda calls this the Kodo design philosophy. It takes inspiration from wild animals when they are hunting for prey. The car resembles other CX-series SUV'S, in that it looks like a zoomed-in CX-5. Viewed in profile it looks even more like a wagon, with a rear like a modern, traditional SUV.

Inside, it is very car-like with a slim, two-part dashboard separated by a thick metallic-looking strip which houses the air vents. Climate control switch gear is placed in a module below the vents, followed by a large cubby hole. A nice gear lever for the 6-speed automatic falls naturally to hand. Behind it is the swiveling and rotating knob to control the touchscreen, which looks like a tacked-on tablet, but is still modular and minimalist. The interior feels premium in this expensive urban SUV. Big and comfortable seats are a pleasure to sit in on long drives. There is a lot of lumbar support as well. Second-row seats are spacious and luxurious, and there’s a third row as well.

A 2.5-liter SkyActive engine powers this big SUV. It is turbocharged, making 227 hp and 420 Nm torque. Pull from the turbo is enough to move this car around, pushing to 100 kph from a standstill in 8.3 seconds - a great number for such a tiny engine. Fuel economy suffers, with the CX-9 going only 11.9 km for every liter of petrol (8.4 L/100km) as opposed to CX-3 and CX-5.

The UAE price of the 2019 Mazda CX-9 is 117,000  AED for the basic package and 160,000 AED for the fully-loaded model.

What the 2019 Mazda CX-9 lacks in steering feedback it makes up for in accuracy; it masks its weight when cornering. There is no doubt that this is a car for a very specific customer - a family person who wants something crisp to drive. This is what Brian O’Conner would have put his kids in. The CX-9 is Mazda’s flagship vehicle, a true driver’s car.

Mazda CX-9 Features:

• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Ventilated front seats
• Automated emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Adaptive cruise control
• 360-degree camera
• 12-speaker Bose audio system

Mazda CX-9 Price in UAE

• Mazda CX-9 - 2.5 litre turbocharged GS (2WD) - 117,000 AED
• Mazda CX-9 - 2.5 litre turbocharged GT (AWD)- 140,000 AED
• Mazda CX-9 - 2.5 litre turbocharged LTD (AWD) - 160,000 AED

Mazda CX-9 Exterior

Mazda CX-9 Interior

Mazda CX-9 Review