Call it Kodo design, call it having its silly grin slapped off its face, call it a toughening of design resolve – the 2013 Mazda CX-9 finally looks cool.

Thank god, Mazda got rid of that silly, gaping grin on what many consider to be one of the best handling, best made crossovers around. I could never get around that silly grin and feeble styling and the same goes for many of you. Mazda had it up to here with the complaints about styling and did something about it.

Why the hell is it debuting in Australia?

Don’t get me wrong, I like Australia a lot. My favorite rocker is Bon Scott from AC/DC (okay… he was born in Scotland), I like their beer, I think they have better American-sounding actors than we do, I pleasured myself to Olivia Newton-John as a teen (okay… she is English born), love their racing, muscle cars and I totally love kangaroos. I know they sell well there, but they sell a hell of a lot more of those CX-9s here. I would go so far as to say they should have had a media debut in the Rocky Mountains!

All of that aside, the internals of the 2013 Mazda CX-9 appear to be the same as last year. According to Mazda, “The 2013 Mazda CX-9 carries over the utility and dynamic driving performance of the current model while adopting Mazda’s “KODO – Soul of Motion” design theme at the front and rear for even sportier styling and stronger presence. Enhancements in craftsmanship and interior design further the feeling of quality and refinement. With regard to equipment, the infotainment system features the latest audio, navigation and speech-recognition systems based on the Human Machine Interface (HMI) which is intuitive to use. In addition, advanced active-safety features, such as Forward Obstruction Warning System, Lane Departure Warning System, and High Beam Control System, help drivers recognize and avoid danger.”

I have no reservations saying the old CX-9 was easily one of the best in class for ride, comfort, handling and most of its packaging. Adding this new, macho face is an excellent upgrade on a superb vehicle. It definitely gives the CX-9′s platform some additional legs for a longer model cycle.

It sounds like the 2013 Mazda CX-9′s interior will get a freshening and, most likely, look similar to the CX-5′s interior. That’s not a bad thing. Roman (TFLCar’s front-man) and I liked the CX-5′s interior quite a bit. It reminded me of the interior of the VW Tiguan which is best in class. Of coarse Mazda has omitted interior photos or any photos of its rear end.

Bummer.

Despite financial trouble, Mazda has amazed many in the automotive trade with a remarkably strong lineup. The 2013 Mazda CX-9 looks like it will continue to be a serious contender in the toughest segment around. Mazda is pretty smart, so I would assume they will keep the base price to 2012 levels near $29,725.

The 2012 Australian International Motor Show will be held in Sydney, beginning October 18 and ending October 28, 2012 – or when the Foster’s (that’s beeeer mate!) runs out.

I like the looks of the 2013 Mazda CX-9 and I loved the 2012 Mazda CX-5. Here’s a video with Roman and I bouncing the sweet little CX-5 off road!