Rarely have we anticipated a new three-row crossover, but the 2017 Mazda CX-9 is an exception. Already among the most athletic family haulers out there, the CX-9 nonetheless has been overdue for a major update. Our wait for the rig’s resurgence is almost over, as it will officially debut later this month at the 2015 L.A. auto show.

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In tandem with its announcement of the CX-9’s debut venue, Mazda also released a design sketch depicting the crossover’s basic styling. As we suspected, the final look borrows heavily from the Koeru concept that debuted earlier this year at the Frankfurt auto show. Other than a basic idea of the car’s looks, Mazda is withholding a broad chunk of information surrounding the CX-9, including what powers it, exactly how large it will be, and what the interior might look like. Still, based on how well its siblings, the CX-5 and the CX-3, have performed in our testing, our expectations for the new CX-9 are pretty high.

(source: caranddriver.com)