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2017 Mazda CX-9 packs turbo power, fresh style

After nearly a decade of sales, Mazda finally introduces the second-generation CX-9 crossover. It delivers a comprehensive interior and exterior overhaul, blessing the CX-9 with a powerful, efficient Skyactiv powertrain, and instilling even more of the sporting character that makes Mazdas so darn charming. Like every other vehicle in Mazda's catalog, the CX-9 now wears the handsome, suave stylings of the company's Kodo design language. We think it looks great, but feel free to disagree in Comments. The second-generation CX-9 is the perfect example of Mazda's growing interior design prowess. As is so often the case, it's not so much the style but the choice of materials that stands out. Nappa leather can be paired with real Japanese rosewood and aluminum accents to craft a cabin that feels far more expensive than what you might expect from Mazda. The quality is impressive, even on the pre-pre-production prototypes we tested (drive impressions coming soon). The other headline, aside from the gorgeous interior, is the powertrain. The heart and soul of the operation is a new 2.5-liter, turbocharged Skyactiv engine. Although it only produces a modest 250 horsepower, that figure is complemented by a whopping 310 pound-feet of torque. Importantly, torque is easy to access in the lower part of the rev range, with peak twist coming in at just 2,000 rpm. It drops off rather suddenly north of 4,000 rpm, but as Mazda tells it, most consumers rarely venture above that figure. Mazda expects the CX-9's core market to be perfectly happy with the robust low-end output. A six-speed automatic is responsible for doling out that grunt, and is meant to play nicely with the same i-Activ predictive all-wheel-drive system found in the CX-5 (although the two cars don't share any AWD components). Using 22 different sensors, the system measures road conditions 200 times every second and will even send up to half the engine's power to the rear axle. The entire car, meanwhile, rides on the same Skyactiv architecture as the CX-5 and Mazda6, meaning a multi-link rear suspension has been paired with MacPherson struts up front. Eighteen-inch wheels will be standard, although 20s will also be on offer. You can expect to hear much more on just what the new CX-9 is like to drive next week. Until then, enjoy the official images from Mazda, and keep an eye open for live shots from the LA debut, headed your way soon.

Mazda on sales upswing in Europe but won't build there

Auto sales in Europe have been a tricky proposition for some years, but Mazda has seen some success on the backs of the CX-5 and new Mazda6. According to a report form Automotive News Europe, though, that doesn't mean we should be looking for the Japanese manufacturer to set up production operations there.
Mazda's European CEO, Jeff Guyton, explained to AN that "Our intention is to have manufacturing scale. That gives you scale economy and quality through repeatability." In other words, a big honking plant in one part of the world is preferable to a half dozen small factories building the same vehicles.
European sales for Mazda are up 5.4 percent in the first half of 2013, with 74,000 units sold. That kicked the Zoom-Zoom brand's market share up from one to 1.2 percent. Small gains, but gains nonetheless. According to Guyton, Mazda would need to sell 200,000 units of just one model in Europe for local production to make sense. Mazda's best European year saw 320,000 units sold across the entire range.

10 automakers shack up in Detroit hotel to talk Takata airbags

Since Takata has decided not to take the lead concerning potential issues with its airbag inflators, the automakers have. Perhaps that's unsurprising, since it's the automakers, not Takata, that will take a beating on the dealership floor if consumers decide its models are a health hazards. The Detroit News reports that Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru met in a hotel conference room near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport last week to sort out a way to understand the technical issues involved. So far, faulty airbag inflators have been ruled the cause of five deaths and 50 injuries around the world, but neither Takata nor investigators understands exactly why the inflators are malfunctioning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently asked Takata to issue a national recall, Takata declined, citing a minuscule failure rate and the fact that it's still investigating the issue. Toyota and Honda then made an industry-wide appeal for "a coordinated, comprehensive testing program" that would pinpoint the problem inflators and get them replaced, and that's what the Detroit meeting was about. Numerous issues, however, will make this a long row to hoe: simply getting the parts to replace the nearly 20 million inflators in cars recalled around the world so far - even working with other suppliers - will take a years, but more importantly, no one knows if the replacement inflators currently being installed will suffer the same issue. Answers will hopefully come quickly with Takata, the ten automakers and NHTSA all independently investigating the problem.