Mazda has just about refreshed its entire line-up of vehicles with SKYACTIV technology and KODO design yet the BT-50, CX7 and CX9 have only received styling updates. The BT-50 has understandably taken a back seat, given the fact that it is a pick up truck and that most of the legwork was done by Ford back when the two companies were linked. The two SUVs however, are definitely due an update.
Earlier this year Mazda showed off its Koeru concept, which previewed a 5-seater SUV with radical styling not dissimilar to that found on the Shinari concept (which eventually became the Mazda 6). We saw this concept car in the metal at the Tokyo Motor Show and were pretty much blown away by just how eye-catching it was.
While the Koeru will probably translate well into a CX-7 replacement, these new images show how a bit of that styling will go into the 2016 CX-9. Of course there isn’t a sloping roofline, as the CX-9 seats seven but there are still similarities. Just like the concept car, the CX-9 features a chrome strip across its tail, but here the Mazda logo is placed beneath instead of above it.
The interior of this 2016 CX-9 leaked preview shows typical Mazda attention to detail. Remove the badging and it would be extremely difficult to tell this interior apart from something designed by BMW or Audi.
