MAZDA is on a roll and its first seven-seat SUV can only continue the rejuvenated Japanese maker's inexorable march up the Australian new-car sales charts. Designed for the US but surprisingly crisp-handling, the CX-9 combines a neatly designed, well isolated cabin with three rows of seats, each with class-leading room to move. A new 3.7-litre V6 is mated to a silky six-speed auto but doesn't mind a drink despite lacking low-down urgency. The latter is a legacy of the CX-9's two-tonne-plus mass, which doesn't prevent the five-metre-plus Mazda from feeling and handling smaller than it has a right to. Priced from $50,000 as a direct rival for mid-range rivals in Toyota's Kluger and Ford's Territory, the CX-9 is not only a fitting larger stablemate for Mazda's popular CX-7, but a must-drive for anyone shopping in the medium SUV market.