26 Wednesday <strong>June</strong> <strong>19</strong> 20<strong>19</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi SELWYN TIMES It takes plenty of sausage sizzles to be a Canterbury local... Now you can get there with just one card. At Challenge, we value your business, and we value being local. That’s why we’ve found a way to say thank you, as well as giving you a great way to contribute to your local community. Join now at mychallenge.co.nz. My Challenge. Locals get it. Earn points Save on fuel Terms & conditions apply Give to your community mychallenge.co.nz CX-9 integral part of pamper package THE OFFER of a pamper package at Hanmer Springs was too good to turn down – hot pools, spa, massage and an overnight stay all included. The car my wife and I drove to the township in was a Mazda CX-9 and it fitted the occasion, it is quiet, refined and superbly comfortable on the undulating North Canterbury roads. The seven-seat CX-9 is not new, the latest generation sports utility vehicle landed in New Zealand in 2016; however, it has had a bit of a refresh and a high grade variant has been added to the line-up. There are now three models, rounding out with what Mazda label Takami. Takami is something you are going to hear a lot more about from Mazda, it adds just that little bit of extra sophistication, sitting over and above Limited variants and, as in the CX-9’s case, add several features such as nappa leather trim, rosewood panels and aluminium trim items. These sit on top of what would ordinarily be a wellspecced vehicle in the first instance. Those familiar with the CX-9 pre-2016 will relate to the feisty V6 engine which characterised the line-up. That has long gone, today’s CX-9 has a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. If the thought of a turbocharger has you a little perplexed, you need not be concerned. The turbocharger is low boost, and the engine, and its management protocols, are structured so that the engine works consistently in the area of low revs. Sure, it will meet the 6000rpm red-line with little provocation; however, there is a strong, flat torque curve which meets its maximum at 2000rpm (420Nm). Add in 170kW at just 5000rpm, the realisation is that the engine is going to work tirelessly at low speed. Power is transferred through a traditional sixspeed automatic transmission. This is another area Mazda does really well, the ratios and the shift management system work well with the low revving nature of the engine, the gaps between gears are filled through the turbo boost, while acceleration is clean and smooth. The CX-9 is no slouch, even without working hard it will still accelerate to 100km/h in 8.8sec, and will make a highway overtake in 4.7sec. On our journey MAZDA CX-9 TAKAMI: High grade trim and specification over and above Limited. north I made use of several overtaking opportunities and always enjoyed that solid mid-range punch that you get from a big fourpotter and the boost from a turbocharger. Interestingly, the CX-9 gets a driver-selectable sport mode, but even without the heightened engine urgency it is still responsive. I didn’t use sport mode much, but far preferred to let the engine operate at its area of greatest efficiency. • Price – Mazda CX-9 Takami, $67,895 • Dimensions – Length, 5075mm; width, <strong>19</strong>69mm; height, 1747mm • Configuration – Four-cylinder, four-wheel-drive, 2488cc, 170kW, 420Nm, six-speed automatic. • Performance – 0-100km/h, 8.8sec • Fuel usage – 8.8l/100km The benefit of the engine’s low revving nature is also that of fuel economy. It’s no surprise the CX-9 is thrifty, Mazda’s SkyActive programme leans towards efficiency, and it claims an 8.8-litre per 100km (32mpg) combined cycle average, which fits well with the 9.2l/100km (31mpg) readout during our journey. At 100km/h the engine is turning over at just 2000rpm in sixth gear, offering a 7.8l/100 (36mpg) instantaneous figure. Considering the CX-9 weighs in rather tubby at just on two-tonne, these figures are impressive and are a credit to the Mazda engineers who, for a long time now, have been plugging away at driveline Motoring Ross Kiddie efficiency. All CX-9 models are now four-wheel-drive, which makes it’s economy even more remarkable. The 4WD set-up will take you off-the-beaten track without being fully classified as an off-roader. However, with a ground clearance figure of 220mm, it does have useful off-theseal capability. Personally, I see the alldrive function as a medium to glean grip on all surfaces, the CX-9 has an on-road feel which is quite reassuring, it feels tightly connected to the road surface, and even in the wet there is surety through the steering which must be considered a safety feature. On that subject, the CX-9 easily qualifies for a five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program safety rating. My wife never travels light, but her suitcase was no match for the cavernous cargo area. With the rear seats folded flat that area measures up to 810-litres; if you are seven-up then that area is compromised to 230-litres, but that matters little, the CX-9 is very much a competitive battler in the large SUV category. As much as I liked the detailing in the Takami grade, I’d be an entry-level buyer, at $59,695 against $67,895 you are getting a lot of value for money. However, I fully appreciate that SUV buyers like all the bells and whistles, and that’s what you get with CX-9 Takami, it is a luxury car at an affordable price. For the record, the non-Takami Limited grade comes in at $65,295. I have a certain affinity with Mazda, there’s one in the Kiddie garage, I like the way the product is quality built and the technology constantly surprises me.
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