The Mazda CX-9 is supposed to be a substitute for either a classic sport utility vehicle or a minivan and Mazda made sure it looks like neither.Auto industry executives have a tendency toward exaggeration when talking about new vehicles but chief designer Hideki Suzuki has a point when he says the CX-7 has a distinctive presence.
The CX-9's nose features a huge Mazda insignia with prominent and flared fenders that start a line that heads back and slightly upward just below the windows. The roof arches, crests and then slides back and down. One surprise is that it continues to give a pronounced bulge to the tailgate, looking like an old-fashioned bustle. It is a neat trick that adds a little extra storage capacity.
What is perhaps most surprising about the CX-9 is that it doesn't look big from the outside, although it is about a foot longer than the Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander, which are not small vehicles.