7 into 9

Mazda's increasing stature in Australia is about to take on even more substance with the arrival of the seven-seat CX-9 SUV.

The CX-7's big brother offers more than just an extra couple of seats and a subtle size upgrade: it also introduces a Ford-derived 3.7-litre, 204kW/366Nm V6 into the mix. A variation on that basic engine architecture will power the Ford Falcon from 2010.

In the CX-9, the new engine drives through a six-speed "Activematic" auto transmission, the same as that fitted to the CX-7.

Mazda claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time for the CX-9 of 8.5 seconds and a combined cycle fuel consumption figure (regular unleaded fuel) of 13L/100km -- reflecting the two-tonne-plus weight of the seven-seater. Fortunately the tank holds a generous 76 litres.

The cabin is claimed to offer class-leading accommodation for the third-row passengers and, according to Mazda, has even been reengineered to suit Australia through relocating the centre row seatbelt mounting point to suit our right-hand drive market.

Like the CX-7, the bigger Mazda SUV uses the company's Active Torque Split on-demand AWD system and is fitted with Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control, ABS, anti-whiplash front seats and front, side and curtain airbags.

The CX-9 scored the maximum five-star rating from the US Government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Mazda's Roll Stability Control system (RSC) is fitted as standard, to counteract the top-heavy tendencies that can afflict SUVs -- the CX-9 is wider, but also taller than the CX-7.

The CX-9 is available in two versions -- Classic and Luxury -- with three-zone climate-control air-conditioning, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, in-dash six-stack MP3 compatible CD player, rain-sensing wipers, alloy wheels and reversing camera standard across the board.

Luxury models also come with a sunroof, leather seats that are powered and heated up front, and a 10-speaker Bose sound system.

The Luxury CX-9 rides on massive 20-inch wheels while the Classic version isn't too bad either with its 18-inch alloys.

With its sporting focus, the CX-9 has no clear competitor on the market, according to Mazda, and hits Australian showrooms with a recommended retail price of $49,990 for the base Classic model and $57,265 for the Luxury.

This is about $10,000 over the smaller, turbocharged four-cylinder, five-seat CX-7.