New 2016 Mazda CX-9 has a 2.5-liter Turbo - MazdaSpeed3?

Here at Torque News we like to offer facts along with some opinions or topics for consideration. Last night’s news that the all-new Mazda CX-9 will have a new engine is interesting to us, but not because we think a large, three-row crossover will benefit from a four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Rather, it will do fine we suppose, but so would any 3.0-liter or larger modern V6. We have not seen any proof that smaller turbos are more fuel efficient in mid-size SUVs. However, they sure do make compact cars go like stink.

Mazda’s new engine is a rather large four-cylinder turbo in terms of displacement at 2.5-liters. Called the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T, he new engine was developed alongside the 2.5-liter normally aspirated engine found in the Mazda6 according to the Mazda press information. Like every single turbo engine ever launched by any automaker (ever), Mazda promises, “It delivers exceptional catalog and real-world fuel economy, excellent response without turbo lag.” We’ll believe it when we drive it. To counter the lag that comes with all turbocharged engines, Mazda says it is the first automaker to offer matched exhaust gas pulsing. The new buzzword for this is Dynamic Pressure Turbocharging.

Creating a surprisingly low 227 hp, but with 310 ft-lb of torque at a relatively high for a turbo 2,000 RPM, the engine is designed to provide “linear and powerful acceleration in the low- to mid-rpm range where CX-9 drivers spend the vast majority of their time.” It should be noted that every driver, of every vehicle, spends the majority of their time in the low to mid RPM ranges.

A new Mazda CX-9 is good news for the company. Every automaker needs to have a great vehicle in this very competitive category. We hope that Mazda’s CX-9 is successful. We also hope Mazda drops this new 2.5-liter turbo into a newly designed MazdaSpeed3. Now that Mazda has a workable, compact all-wheel drive system (from the CX-3) and a powerful engine, it has all the ingredients it needs. Please don’t forget the manual 6-speed Mazda.