Large SUV Lowdown – Mazda CX-9 v Kia Sorento Comparison Test
IT ISN’T OFTEN – IN ANY VEHICLE SEGMENT – THAT TWO COMPETITORS STAND SO FAR AHEAD OF THE PACK, FOLLOWED BY BROAD DAYLIGHT, AND THEN THE REST.
But that's the case with MAZDA'S CX-9 and the KIA SORENTO.
Catalyst for this comparison is Mazda’s new CX-9 that we gave a four-and-a-half-star rating to at launch, and in reviews following. It’s the same number of stars given to Kia’s slightly older, but no less-gifted, Sorento.
Here we are testing what Mazda predicts will be the most popular model of its large SUV range, the CX-9 Touring.
It sits in the ledger at $52,890 plus on-road costs in all-wheel-drive guise. It comes only with a new 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine; one that the brand believes is now so efficient, it renders diesel redundant.
Kia may have something to say about that, given that its equivalent middle-grade Sorento SLi is available in AWD guise only, with 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder power, and priced from $49,490 (plus orc).
So, which is best – petrol or diesel, the sublime Mazda or the surprising Sorento? We won’t give the result of this seven-seat SUV showdown away just yet, but we will say it's tight.
TESTEDMazda CX-9 Touring AWD - $52,890 (plus on-road costs)
Kia Sorento SLi AWD - $49,490 (plus on-road costs)
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OVERVIEW
By sales volume, the large SUV segment is the fourth largest in the country – behind small cars, medium SUVs and utes – and with Toyota's Kluger and Prado top the class. Before this test we re-acquainted ourselves with the Kluger in a single model review (read here) given that only the $68K Grande flagship was available.
The ageing Kluger, despite having several virtues, would have been outclassed here, in the same way that the mediocre Holden Captiva, ordinary Hyundai Santa Fe and below-average Nissan Pathfinder are also outclassed.
Onwards and upwards, then…
While both the CX-9 and Sorento start from $40K-plus, most buyers spend extra for these higher grade models. Each gets leather-wrapping across all seven seats and the steering wheel, plus electric driver seat adjustment, multi-zone climate control, cruise control, satellite navigation, auto headlights/wipers, auto-dim rear-view mirror, reverse-view camera with rear sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels.