#Seven-seater

For years Volkswagen neglected the SUV segment, with just the undersized Tiguan and overpriced Touareg in their showrooms, but they’re finally bringing a three-row, seven-seat midsize crossover to market with the Atlas.

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After three months in the CX-9, we’ve gotten to know the technology of this flagship Mazda very well, and it is time for us to weigh in on how well they’ve executed the various systems that help Mazda keep pace in the tech race.

In any segment, there are always outliers at the extremes of the spectrum, while the majority sit somewhere in the middle.

The Mazda CX-9 is starting to earn its keep as the AutoGuide.com long-term tester, and its schedule is quickly filling up with new missions and tests that will push it to its limits to find out just how much it can handle.

In a market where SUV sales are growing by double figures from year to year, a new midsize crossover couldn’t come soon enough for Mazda.