Since mid 2016, the Mazda CX-9 has stood as the brand’s flagship. A stand-up example of both Mazda’s premium aspirations, and its technical merit in terms of engine and platform flexibility. While there have been no major-change updates since launch, the 2021 Mazda CX-9 shows the brand’s knack for rolling out incremental annual improvements that keep the pro...

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 range starts at $45,990 plus on-road costs for the front-drive Sport model grade, but the vehicle on test here is the range-topping CX-9 Azami LE priced much further up the scale at $73,875 plus ORCs. It will cost close to $80,000 to get the LE on the road, making it a very pricey proposition. But after driving it, crawling through it, an...

The second-generation Mazda CX-9 was a bit of a throwdown to the heavy hitters from Europe, and a shot across the bows of the rapidly improving Korean juggernaut. Big SUVs can be stylish, well-equipped and don't have to drink like an aircraft carrier, that was the Mazda message. That last bit was also a bit self-referential because the old CX-9 it replaced p...

Since mid 2016, the Mazda CX-9 has stood as the brand’s flagship. A stand-up example of both Mazda’s premium aspirations, and its technical merit in terms of engine and platform flexibility. While there have been no major-change updates since launch, the 2021 Mazda CX-9 shows the brand’s knack for rolling out incremental annual improvements that keep the pro...

Mazda last year blew out the candles on a very large cake. 2020 was the brand’s 100th birthday and – along with some nostalgic talk about its origins as a cork manufacturer – it’s celebrating with a bevy of special editions. Most expensive of the lot is the Mazda CX-9 100th Anniversary Special Edition. At $1900 pricier than than high-spec CX-9 Azami, it pack...

Mazda’s big seven-seater was a bit of a trailblazer when it arrived in its original form in 2006. Packing a thirsty but powerful V6 wrapped in sleek looks that set it apart from the rest of the still-nascent segment, the Mazda CX-9 provided access to Euro-style SUV aesthetics without the prices. With the emergence of its second generation in 2016, the V6 wen...