Mazda Offers First Teaser Of All-New CX-9, To Debut At LA Auto Show

The first look at Mazda’s family-friendly CX-9 has appeared, and while it may be lifted fresh off its designer’s sketch pad, it offers a telling look at what to expect from the new three-row SUV.

Signed by Mazda’s US exterior design team leader, Ethan Song, the CX-9 wears the hallmarks of Mazda’s existing SUV range, with a glasshouse shape that mimics that for the smaller CX-5, and a protruding five-point grille frame that sweeps into a narrow headlight, similar to the CX-3.

The CX-9 is the last vehicle in Mazda’s range to make the shift to the company’s modular SkyActive architecture. While the current CX-9’s 3.7 litre V6 is expected to be retired, the new engine is yet to be revealed, but a turbocharged version of Mazda’s existing 2.5 litre four-cylinder seems likely.

Like Kluger and Pathfinder, which are petrol-only, it’s unlikely Mazda will offer a SkyActive diesel powered CX-9, despite offering a suitable 2.2 litre turbo diesel in the Mazda6 range.

The three-row SUV is deemed essential for Mazda’s US line-up, hence the car’s LA debut.

More details will be revealed in the lead-up to the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens on the 20th of November.

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