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Tech of the Year special, plus we drive the hydrogen Mirai and more | Autoblog Podcast #809

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They kick the discussion off by talking about what they've been driving as of late, including the Toyota Mirai, Dodge Hornet, Alfa Romeo Tonale and a trio of subcompact SUVs. After that, they dive into a discussion about the 2023 Autoblog Technology of the Year award winner, which is Mercedes-Benz's Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Once they wrap up that segment, we get to hear the crew's latest Cybertruck takes from before the big reveal. Finally, the show wraps up with a fun Spend My Money segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #809 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving 2023 Toyota Mirai 2023 Dodge Hornet 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale 2024 Chevy Trax 2024 Kia Seltos 2024 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Technology of the Year winner and breakdown News Cybertruck preview Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts Alfa Romeo Chevrolet Dodge Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Toyota Technology Infotainment Technology of the Year Crossover SUV Electric Luxury Performance Sedan Podcasts

2017 Mazda CX-9 Prototype First Drive

If you read our coverage from last week's Los Angeles Auto Show, you'll note that we were extremely fond of the new Mazda CX-9. We like the look of the thing, inside and out, and it promises to be the best-driving entry in the three-row crossover class. We agree wholeheartedly with that claim. You see, we already drove it. Full disclosure: Our test of the camouflaged CX-9 prototype you see here was short, and while we were able to get a good handle on the CX-9's basic driving dynamics, it'll take more than a 30-mile session around the outskirts of LA to uncover the finer details. What's more, these vehicles are not production ready. In fact, according to our handlers at Mazda, the CUV we tested was actually at the stage before pre-production – so basically, a pre-pre-production car. That said, all the details about the engine, transmission, suspension, and steering are "largely final." As you can see in the gallery, the cars we tested were heavily camouflaged both inside and out. As for styling, we love it – see the undisguised pictures from the LA show for more views. And as for inside, we can say leather seats of our Grand Touring model were comfortable and supportive, and the smallish steering wheel felt natural in the hand. Even in pre-pre-production state, the CX-9 was impressively quiet. An extra 53 pounds of under-floor sound deadening, thicker windows, and active noise cancellation all contribute to what Mazda claims will be "among the quietest vehicles in its class." It's worth noting that the good sounds, like the throaty, whooshy noises of the turbocharged engine, found their way into the cabin just fine. The 2.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine – Mazda's first force-induced Skyactiv engine – is an excellent piece. The 2.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine – Mazda's first force-induced Skyactiv engine – is an excellent piece. It uses a variable geometry turbocharger, which the company calls a Dynamic Pressure Turbo. Here's how Mazda explains it: Imagine a normal garden hose. Put your thumb over the nozzle, and the force of the water increases dramatically. That's the DPT at low rpms. It features three small exhaust ports to direct exhaust gases into the turbo, making for 17.4 quick-spooling PSI at low rpms. As the revs climb, a flow control valve opens up, redirecting the gases to a trio of larger ports – removing your thumb from the hose, if you will – and keeping the boost up.

Mazda Mexico debuts Mazda3 Turbo before official U.S. reveal

We should have been keeping an eye on our neighbors to the south, who did us the favor of showing off the turbocharged 2021 Mazda3 last week. The automaker teased the reveal for the U.S. market to happen on July 8. It's reasonable to expect slight changes between our two countries, but the Mexico introduction makes a good base to know what we're getting. The prime specs: 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G turbocharged four-cylinder with 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. As suspected, this is the same engine found in the Mazda6, CX-5, and CX-9. As such, we expect those output figures are based on using 87 octane gasoline; in the other three Mazda offerings, 93 octane gas unlocks 250 hp and 320 lb-ft. So at worst, the Mazda3 turbo makes 41 hp and 124 lb-ft more than the naturally-aspirated engine in the current hatch and sedan. At best, the improvement runs to 64 hp and 124 lb-ft. Comparing the turbo Mazda3 to the segment-standard Volkswagen Golf GTI, the incoming 2021 German will make 241 hp and 273 lb-ft. Only a test drive will reveal how the battle of sportiness vs luxury turns out for the Mazda. The numbers make a case for the former, but there's enough of the latter to sway us into believing this will primarily be a quicker Mazda3, with nary a hardcore edge. The only transmission mentioned is a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters that sends power to both axles via mandatory all-wheel drive. In Mexico there are only two Mazda3 trims, which start at 329,990 pesos ($17,050 U.S.) and 429,900 pesos ($19,294 U.S.). The turbo will introduce two new trims there that start at 489,900 pesos ($21,987 U.S.) and 529,900 pesos ($23,782 U.S.), MSRP increases of about 29%. For the supplemental dosh, the Mazda3 turbo in Mexico comes with a leather interior, sunroof, 12-speaker Bose audio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring and auto-tint side mirrors, reversing sensors, and black 18-inch aluminum wheels.  Other than those black wheels and some badging, though, there's nothing to differentiate the forced-induction model from the naturally aspirated one. When a Jalopnik source tipped that site to some 2021MY Mazdas based on dealer codes, there was a "MAZDA3 HB PP TURBO." That "PP" likely stands for Premium Package, which is the highest trim offered on our Mazda3 right now, already comes with 18-inch black wheels, and starts at $28,445 after destination.