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Mazda CX-9 Luggage Test | How much fits behind the third row?

We recently tested the luggage-carrying capability of one of the most spacious three-row crossovers, the Hyundai Palisade, and now it's time for one of the smallest. The Mazda CX-9 may look terrific and drive even better, but that zest comes at the expense of cargo capacity, as we're about to see. The big culprit is that rakish liftgate, which not only robs the CX-9 of luggage space, but third-row headroom as well. It's pretty dungeon-like back there despite competitive legroom, and there aren't any air vents or USB ports, either. But this is about cargo capacity, so let's see how much luggage will fit inside. According to the specs, the CX-9 has 38.2 cubic-feet with the third-row lowered. That's far less than the Palisade's 45.8 and Honda Pilot's 46.8. It's actually even less than the five-passenger Honda Passport (50.5).  The test car came with a $100 cargo mat, which is velcroed to the seats and folds OK with it, but the carpet also takes up some extra space ... and the CX-9 needs as much as it can get.  To raise the seats, lean inside and pull up/back on those two handles. There is 14.4 cubic-feet of space behind the raised third row. On paper, that is indeed one of the smaller amounts in the segment, but in practice, it seems even smaller.  You can free up space by removing the rigid floor panel. If you need to carry multiple pieces of luggage, it's almost a necessity.  OK, so I have two midsize roller suitcases, both of which would need to be checked. Then there's two larger carry-on roll-aboards and one smaller one. As a bonus, there's my wife's quasi-fancy weekend bag. It was a struggle to fit three of them aboard, and Tetrised together two formations. The first uses all three carry-on bags with the cargo floor removed. And no, the fancy bag won't fit atop the blue one because it'll run into the liftgate window. A smaller tote would definitely fit, however.  This is how I could fit one of the bigger check-in bags. The liftgate just barely closed. Again, you could fit a small tote atop the blue bag, plus some other items in the lower outboard regions.  OK, so how could you fit everything aboard? Lowering half of the 50/50-split third row is a must, obviously. Both big check-in bags then stack atop each other, and then stack the other four atop each other with the cargo floor in place.

Weekly Recap: Toyota, Mazda team up to 'make cars better'

Toyota and Mazda are teaming for a noble purpose: to "make cars better." That's how the two Japanese automakers termed their partnership, which was announced this week. So what does this actually mean? The companies said they will set up a joint committee to look for areas of cooperation and named safety and the environment as issues they plan to tackle. From a product perspective, it's believed that Toyota is interested in Mazda's Skyactive engine portfolio. In turn, Mazda has its eye on Toyota's fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid technology. While more specifics were not confirmed, the companies said the "agreement will go beyond the traditional framework of cooperation," and it has the potential to be a long-range partnership. "The main purpose of this initiative is to enhance the appeal of our cars," Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at the announcement. Previously, Mazda has licensed Toyota's hybrid tech and assembled compact cars for Toyota in Mexico. Akio Toyoda said these projects "triggered" the automakers to explore further collaboration. Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager for AutoPacific, said the tie-up echoes Daimler's wide-ranging work with the Renault-Nissan alliance. "This could be a well-groomed match due to each having very unique skill sets," he said. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Volvo selects South Carolina for US factory Volvo confirmed this week that it will build its first US factory in South Carolina, with construction set to begin this fall. The company first revealed plans in March, though it didn't announce a site. The plant will have initial annual production of 100,000 units, though the vehicle or vehicles to be assembled were not specified. The factory, located near Charleston, will open in 2018 and ultimately employ 4,000 people. The facility will help Volvo continue its growth strategy, which includes strengthening its presence in the US market, where it wants to sell more than 100,000 cars per year. "Building a plant in the US is a reflection of Volvo Cars' commitment to the US and the key role the US plays in our growth objectives," Lex Kerssemakers, senior vice president, Americas, said in a statement. Ford GT spied on the road The 2017 Ford GT was spotted testing around the Blue Oval's headquarters in Dearborn, MI, this week. The raw body panels were exposed, and they lacked paint or camouflage. It's the first time the GT has been captured on the street after a spring of auto show reveals.

Mazda CX-5 in auto-brake accident on Japanese test drive

As we slowly march towards a world where our cars will drive for us, there will be mishaps. Systems will act up, not behave has intended or we'll simply forget to turn them on. We all remember when Volvo tested the S60's City Safety system. Now Mazda has had an issue of its own.
During a test of a Mazda CX-5's Smart City Brake Support on a dealership lot in Japan, a prospective customer and a dealership employee were injured when they hit a urethane barrier used for testing the system. According to Bloomberg, which spoke with the Saitama Prefectural Police, the impact with the barrier left the customer with an injured neck while the dealership employee suffered a fractured arm. Considering the injuries, we imagine this wasn't a small barrier.
"For any safety function, it's impossible to be 100-percent free of accidents. These technical functions aren't always the easiest to understand," IHS Automotive auto parts analyst, Hiroshi Ataka told Bloomberg.