Mazda CX-9 future unclear, as new CX-90 launches

Mazda Australia will keep selling the CX-9 large SUV as long as it continues to be made, but the longer-term future of the nameplate remains unclear.

Mazda Australia said today the CX-9 range would be sold alongside the luxurious new CX-90, thereby giving the company a trio of three-row SUVs – the other being the smaller CX-8.

But while it said the CX-9 will be around throughout 2023, it wouldn’t be drawn on how much longer the front- or all-wheel drive crossover will be around for.

“As long as Mazda Corporation produces CX-9, we will have CX-9,” said Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi today.

“We expect for 2023 we will have both cars selling side-by-side, and then in the future whether that’s in that portfolio will be dependent on whether it continues to be produced.”

Mazda in the US has already confirmed the CX-90 will replace the CX-9 in that market.

“A decision on CX-8 and CX-9 isn’t made,” Mr Bhindi added. “Our focus currently is to launch CX-60 and CX-90, and obviously Mazda Corporation has got CX-70 and CX-80 to consider… So no firm decision has been made.”

The CX-8 looks to have a few more years left in it. It followed the related, two-row CX-5 last year in receiving a facelift, which will arrive here in March 2023.

Given the CX-9 was developed with the US market front of mind, it seems likely the crossover won’t receive a third generation as Mazda pivots to the CX-90.

While it is sold in other markets such as New Zealand, the CX-9’s largest market is the US with the smaller Australian market coming in a distant second.

Last year, Mazda sold 34,580 CX-9s in the US and 6460 units in Australia.

The CX-9 isn’t offered in Europe, Japan or China, but is sold in North America, the Middle East, and, of course, Australia and New Zealand.

Mazda executives did note the CX-3 and CX-30 have been sold alongside each other, and that the CX-5 will continue alongside the similarly sized CX-60.

Globally, the company is busy rolling out a family of more premium SUVs on the rear-biased all-wheel drive Large Platform: the two-row CX-60 and three-row CX-80 developed with Europe in mind, and the wider two-row CX-70 and three-row CX-90 developed with North America in mind.

Given Australia’s position as one of Mazda’s strongest markets globally, we’re confirmed to be getting both the CX-60 and CX-90, with the yet-to-be-revealed CX-70 and CX-80 still under consideration.

It’s a similar story with the current CX-8 and CX-9. The former is narrower and features naturally aspirated petrol and turbocharged diesel four-cylinder engines and is offered in markets like Japan and China, whereas the latter is turbo-petrol-only and is aimed at North America.

MORE: Everything Mazda CX-8 MORE: Everything Mazda CX-9