The CX-9 crossover, in many ways, is the perfect Mazda for the US market. Its sheer size, stunning looks, and great performance suit the needs of Americans in a crossover. And though the smaller CX-5 is Mazda’s bestseller in the US, the CX-9 has undoubtedly made its mark in the North American market.

But Mazda also has a successor for the seven-year-old crossover in the CX-90. It rides on an all-new platform and is also the biggest vehicle that the Hiroshima-based company has ever made.

Coming from the Large Product Group, the new flagship SUV comes with a more powerful yet more efficient 3.3-liter, longitudinally mounted, in-line-six gasoline engine (for the US market). These are paired with a mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid system, and an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission.

With the CX-90’s launch, a lot of people are asking: “What will happen to the CX-9?” Mazda US has seemed to answer that question by announcing the discontinuation of the popular SUV in the North American market. In a press statement, Mazda revealed that the CX-9 is being discontinued after the 2023 model year.

This means that the remaining units in its inventory will be the last CX-9s that Americans can buy. The decision didn’t come as a surprise as the newer CX-90 has been receiving praise from the press—and is selling quite well.

The latest development also got a lot of Mazda fans here in the Philippines asking: “Will it suffer the same fate in our market?” A representative of Mazda Philippines said that the CX-9 will continue to be sold in the country alongside the bigger and newer CX-90. In fact, the locally sold model has yet to receive a few updates that the US model got some time back.

Despite this assurance, we won’t be surprised if the crossover gets axed in Mazda Philippines’ lineup soon. After all, who would still want the CX-9 when the bigger and better CX-90 is available? But until that happens, it’s going to be a wait-and-see thing for all of us.