the 2008 model is already here and has been given some updates, notably a small increase in engine size and a resulting boost in horsepower and torque. The 3.5-litre V6 engine used in 2007 has been boosted to 3.7 litres for 2008, and horsepower rises to 273 @ 6250 rpm from 263 @ 6250 rpm. Perhaps more importantly, torque has been increased to 270 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm from 249 lb-ft @ 4500 r.p.m.
Despite the power increase, fuel economy is about the same, according to Mazda Canada. Official fuel consumption figures (L/100 km) for the 2008 CX-9 (FWD) are 13.2/9.0 City/Hwy. That compares to the 2007 CX-9 (FWD) with 13.3/8.9 City/Hwy. 2008 CX-9 AWD models offer 14.0/9.7 City/Hwy compared to the 2007 CX-9 AWD with 14.5/9.7 City/Hwy. The new 3.7-litre engine continues to use Regular grade gasoline.
The CX-9 is based on the Mazda6 unit body platform which it shares with the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers - however, the CX-9 is built in Hiroshima, Japan while the Edge and MKX are built in Oakville, Ontario.
The 2008 Edge and MKX will continue to use the Ford-built 3.5-litre V6 engine, but the CX-9's new 3.7-litre V6 engine is exclusive to Mazda and is built in Japan - as is the CX-9's Aisin six-speed automatic transmission which is different from the Ford-built six-speed auto transmission. Basically, the 2008 CX-9 is now a Japanese-engineered and Japanese-built vehicle.
