Mazda’s top of the line SUV, the Mazda CX-9, has been on the market since 2017.  The CX-9 was designed for those buyers who wanted a people mover, but didn’t want to buy a MPV. While the CX-9 stays the same for the past 5 years, Mazda Malaysia introduced the enhanced version of the CX-9 last year. Dubbed the Mazda CX-9 Ignite Edition, this version of the CX-9 receives minor changes throughout the vehicle to make it more appealing to modern day buyers.

In terms of looks, not many drastic changes have been done to the exterior of the CX-9. Most of the updates on the Ignite Edition are subtle, but it does make the large SUV look sportier. For the Ignite Edition, some of the parts such as the 20-inch rims, front grille, and wing mirror have been blacked out to give the SUV a contrasting look, especially paired with the Soul Red paint job. Apart from that, the rear windows have also been darkened out to make the SUV look more menacing.

As for the interior, the most noticeable change for the CX-9 comes in the form of the burgundy colored Nappa leather seats. The seats are very comfortable, and it does provide a commanding view out of the vehicle. Both front seats also feature the heating and cooling function to keep both driver and front passenger in the most relaxing temperature possible while driving over long distances. While the front seats are comfortable, the side bolsters on the front seats aren’t the most supportive when the vehicle is driven on twisty roads.

Apart from the different color leather seats, the Ignite Edition CX-9 also comes with an updated infotainment screen. The updated infotainment screen now features wireless Apple Carplay function, but there’s only wired connection available on the Android side. With the introduction of the wireless Apple Carplay system, Mazda also added wireless charger to reduce the need of fumbling for wires before setting off. To provide the best in-car entertainment experience, the CX-9 is fitted with Bose Premium sound system as standard.

Moving to the 2nd row seats, 2nd row passengers get plenty of legroom and headroom space to get comfortable. With 3 adults sitting in the 2nd row, shoulder room is not an issue due to the width of the vehicle. The 2nd row seats are flexible, where it can slide forwards and back, and the seatbacks are adjustable as well. These adjustments are also necessary to allow 3rd row passengers to climb onboard. To assist the little ones to climb into the 3rd row seats, the 2nd row seats also get 2 additional buttons at the lower part of the seat to make it move forward.

In the 3rd row seats, 2 adults can fit into it without much hassle. I may not consider the space in the 3rd row luxurio us, at least it’s still bearable for me even if I need to travel long journeys back there. With all the seats up, the CX-9 gets a small 230L usable boot space. To make the CX-9 practical for daily use, I would highly recommend to keep the 3rd row seats down, and make the CX-9 a 5 seater SUV with a decent boot. If the owner wants to turn their CX-9 into the ultimate load carrying vehicle, they have the option to fold every single rear seat down into a flat floor, to create a large flat area to carry items.

Under the hood, the 2.5L turbocharged 4 cylinder Skyactiv engine and the 6-speed automatic transmission remains untouched. As Mazda chose the 2 wheel drive variant as the test vehicle, only the front wheels are doing the job to pull this vehicle along. The 2.5L turbocharged engine has the ability to produce 228hp at 5,000rpm and a peak torque of 420Nm at 2,000rpm. The Mazda CX-9 Ignite Edition has a top speed of 210km/h.

While picking up speed and hitting the national speed limit is an easy task for the CX-9, the front wheel drive setup is not the best in translating the engine torque into movement. On dry roads, hard acceleration can cause torque steer, especially when the center of gravity moves backwards during acceleration. This is even more evident in the wet, where wheelspin happens even with traction control turned on. I do think that this power train needs the All wheel drive system to effectively put down its available power.

By taking away the all wheel drive system, it also takes away a certain sense of security when driving on twisty roads. Even so, the CX-9 still feels very solid when taking corners. This is further helped out by an eager front end, which makes the CX-9 feel like it shrinks around you. But still, the body roll is there due to the height and weight of the vehicle. Then again, the suspension does a great job in minimizing the body roll on such a huge SUV. Furthermore, the suspension is soft and plush, keeping all occupants inside the vehicle comfortable over different road surfaces.

On day to day use, the all wheel disc brakes have no issue in slowing the CX-9 down. But on spirited drives, I do think that the CX-9 could use a little more biting power from the brakes to provide better braking performance. While the safety and driver assistance hardware remains unchanged, I do think that Mazda did update the driver assistance software to make it feel more natural. This is particularly evident when I’m using the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC), when the vehicle in front moves away, the CX-9 will now pick up speed gradually instead of the sudden burst of acceleration that happened on the previous system.

In terms of safety system, the Mazda CX-9 comes with 6 Airbags, Mazda G-Vectoring Control Plus Technology (GVC Plus), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control System (TCS), and Emergency Stop Signal (ESS). On the driver assistance side, the CX-9 come with Off-Road Traction Assist, Hill Launch Assist (HSA), Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Tra‹c Alert (RCTA), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Lane-Keep Assist System (LAS), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Smart Brake Support (SBS), Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), and Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC).

While the competition is scarce in this segment, the CX-9 does feel its age especially when you compare it with Mazda’s newer models, such as the Mazda 3 and the Mazda CX-30. Even so, the CX-9 is still pretty relevant to the current market. Priced at RM 328,610.40, the Ignite Edition does give the CX-9 a new lease of life, by making such a large SUV sportier. At this price point, you won’t go wrong for choosing the CX-9 over any other MPV, especially when you only use the additional seats occasionally.

Check out full photo album here.