Mazda gave the CX-9 more standard equipment for the 2023 model year and it turns out this was the company’s way to say the big SUV goodbye. In an official press release, the brand announces it will discontinue the CX-9 in the United States after the 2023 MY and will replace it with the 2024 CX-90.
The second generation CX-9 was unveiled during the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and production started in February 2016. It was launched as a brand-new product based on the Skyactiv platform with a family of new engines, including a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-pot with 250 horsepower (186 kilowatts). The design was inspired by Mazda’s then-new Kodo design philosophy.
Gallery: 2023 Mazda CX-9: Review
In January 2023, however, Mazda unveiled the all-new CX-90 as a more upscale product with an available inline-six-cylinder turbo engine. This model leaves no room for the aging CX-9 and Mazda says the SUV has achieved its mission to offer “a unique blend of utility, performance, design, and premium sensibilities” and paved the way for “Mazda’s next generation of vehicles.”
The 2023 CX-9 – the final model year for the mid-size crossover – has a starting price of $40,025 with destination and handling taxes included. The Japanese company decided to eliminate the entry-level Sport trim for the model’s final model year on the market, leaving the Touring as the base grade. The engine range included only the aforementioned 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, available exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive.
Gallery: 2024 Mazda CX-90
Its replacement in Mazda’s SUV lineup, the 2024 CX-90, has a starting price of $40,970, including a mandatory destination charge of $1,375, making it only slightly more expensive than its predecessor. If you tick all the boxes in the configurator though, you’ll end up looking at a posh nearly $68,000 family hauler.
