Mazda Begins Production of New CX-9
Mazda’s CX-9 was the subject of the company’s latest redesign, in this case to tailor the car specifically for the North American market, where lately demand has been for two things in particular: trucks and SUVs. As such, Mazda made the CX-9 into a three-row mid-size crossover, featuring a new turbocharged 2.5-liter engine.
And now, the very first CX-9s are rolling off the line. Mazda officially commenced production of the SUV on February 12th at the Ujina Plant No.1 in Hiroshima, with these first models bound solely for the United States and Canada, where they are set to go on sale in the spring.
Mazda is very optimistic about sales, as it expects the North American market to account for 80% of the SUV’s global sales of an estimated 50,000 units annually.
We first saw the new and improved CX-9 at the LA Auto Show (well, actually a few days before that thanks to someone leaking screenshots), where Mazda explained that the CX-9 was designed to be aimed at “mature families,” meaning offering both a practical people-mover and an indulgent “couple’s retreat,” offering a seven-seat SUV with 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque.
Oh, and don’t forget that sweet, sweet Auburn Napa leather.
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