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2020 Mazda CX-9 gets more torque and second-row captain's chairs

The 2020 Mazda CX-9 is here, and it’s even more enticing than the 2019 model year SUV. ItÂ’s not a full redesign, but Mazda shook up the features list to make it more competitive with other three-row crossovers. Most notable (arguably) of all changes comes from a small increase in torque — the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets bumped from 310 pound-feet of torque to 320 pound-feet. Horsepower remains the same at 250 horses. Those figures are only applicable when using 93 octane fuel. They go down to 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque when on 87. Another new feature is an off-road traction assist button, replacing the traction control button. This new feature is meant to help when navigating rougher terrain. HereÂ’s how Mazda describes its function: “When the diagonal wheels lose traction, off-road traction assist will stop reducing the engine torque and increases the brake force on the wheels without traction. This transfers power to the wheels still on the ground to help allow the vehicle to regain traction and continue the drive.” WeÂ’ll be interested to see how this helps the CX-9 on a snowy Michigan winter day soon. The number of standard features on the base Sport trim is up, too. Now all CX-9s get heated front seats, a power driverÂ’s seat, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated outside mirrors and auto high-beams. Additionally, Mazda made its full suite of i-Activsense safety features standard. This includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and other driver assistance niceties. Mazda is also adopting the new key fob design of the Mazda3 for the CX-9. Optional on the Touring and Grand Touring are second-row captainÂ’s chairs. Previously, Mazda only offered bench style seating for the CX-9, so this addition could be a huge turn-on for some folks in this segment. The chairs have armrests, and the lack of a center pull-down means Mazda had to redesign its cupholder layout in back. In CX-9s equipped with the chairs, the cup holders and USB ports are now integrated into the backside of the front center console. If you opt for the captainÂ’s chairs in the Grand Touring or Signature trims, the seats are heated.  Pricing does increase a fair amount for the 2020 CX-9. A base front-wheel drive Sport is now priced at $34,835 including destination, a $1,510 increase from last yearÂ’s base price. The top of the range only got $750 more expensive, though, as the Signature starts at $47,160.

Mazda hopes to return to Le Mans

Mazda has been away from the winner's circle at Le Mans for some time now. But it could be preparing a return to the forefront at the famous French endurance race in the near future. That is, at least, if the racing enthusiasts within its ranks get their way. "I know that the expectation for us to return to Le Mans is high. I can imagine a day when Mazda returns," Nobuhiro Yamamoto told Top Gear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend. "I hope - as with many other Mazda fans - that we go back to Le Mans." His words hardly serve as confirmation of the Zoom-Zoom brand's intentions, but they certainly speak rather loudly to a desire within its ranks. They hardly come out of left field, either. Yamamoto-san is arguably the man best positioned to spearhead such a campaign – or would at least be best informed if such a campaign were underway. He's currently the program manager for the MX-5, and decades ago was the racing engineer behind the 787B. That Group C prototype racer represented Mazda's last major effort at taking top honors at Le Mans, and take them it did when it won the race outright in 1991. The Japanese automaker was out in force this past weekend at Goodwood, the event's central sculpture honoring Mazda's racing history, and its presence only fueling rumors that it could be preparing a renewed assault on endurance racing – potentially once again under rotary power. The 787B, motorsport history buffs will tell you, represented the first and last time to date that a Japanese manufacturer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although Toyota has been competing with Audi and Porsche at the front of the field with the TS040 Hybrid, it has yet to win the key race, despite having taken the FIA World Endurance Championship last year. "Everyone at Mazda would love to see the only Japanese company to ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans return to the famed twice-around-the-clock classic," a spokesman for Mazda's North American motorsports department told Autoblog by correspondence. "Whether that'll actually happen isn't something we can discuss at this time, but, given our historical and current involvement in motorsports, our interest in the event should be no surprise to anyone. We agree with Yamamoto-san when he says he hopes it happens." So while Mazda may not be ready to confirm the prospect of its return to Le Mans, it certainly isn't ruling it out, either.

Mazda3 to showcase CNG, Hybrid versions in Tokyo

Mazda has made huge gains in its competitive set with the introduction of its Skyactiv technologies, and the Japanese automaker appears to have no plans on slowing down. While we're still waiting for the Mazda6 Skyactiv-D diesel to go on sale in the US, Mazda announced that it will debut new Skyactiv-Hybrid and Skyactiv-CNG versions of the Mazda3 (standard US-spec model shown above) at next month's Tokyo Motor Show.
Matching up with what we heard earlier in the summer, the Mazda3 Skyactiv-Hybrid is intended for Japan only, but there are no details about this system regarding fuel economy, electric components or specs. Likewise, there are no details for the Mazda3 Skyactiv-CNG Concept, which is a bi-fuel version of the car running on both gasoline and compressed natural gas. As this car's name suggests, the CNG model is a concept vehicle, and there is no indication that Mazda plans offering such a model here in the US.
In addition to these two vehicles, Mazda will also have an Atenza (Mazda6) on display showing off some vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) safety systems, called the ASV-5 (Advanced Safety Vehicle). Scroll down for Mazda's official press release.