Mazda goes big with new flagship CX-90 SUV

MAZDA is aiming up at Audi, BMW, Genesis and Mercedes with its latest offering, the new large SUV known as CX-90, which has been confirmed for Australian sale in the second half of 2023.

Built on the same new-generation underpinnings as the incoming smaller CX-60 SUV, the new seven-seater is said to offer a “new level of family luxury and Mazda premium design”.

It will be sold in Australia with “exclusively hybridised powertrains”, including a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model that will arrive months after the initial batch of mild-hybrid versions. 

For Australia, the CX-90 will sit alongside the four-cylinder CX-8 and CX-9 large SUV ranges for at least the remainder of 2023, though in other markets such as the United States it will replace the latter model.

It will cost more than the CX-9 and is expected to become the most expensive Mazda ever sold in Australia – possibly reaching six digits – given the CX-60 Azami PHEV is currently the brand’s priciest model at $85,675 before on-road costs and commands $10,510 more than a top-spec CX-9.

Whereas the CX-9 has always been a petrol-only proposition with diesel demand soaked up by the slightly smaller CX-8, the new three-row model will arrive with both turbo-diesel and turbo-petrol engines, that wil this time be bigger inline six-cylinder units complemented by mild-hybrid technology. 

Both the petrol and diesel engines will be of a 3.3-litre capacity, though the outputs are vastly different.

The so-called e-Skyactiv turbo-petrol is rated to 254kW of power and 500Nm of torque, making it the “most powerful mass production petrol car ever developed by Mazda” as it has 13kW more than the CX-60, while the turbo-diesel version has outputs of 187kW and 550Nm.

Each of these models is fitted with Mazda’s “M-Hybrid Boost 48-volt mild-hybrid system”, comprising an electric motor in between the engine and transmission that can be called on to assist with acceleration from a standstill and run in EV mode under deceleration.

It also uses regenerative braking to top up the battery pack, which is mounted under the driver’s seat. The transmission in question is an eight-speed automatic specific to this application, and the drivetrain is a rear-biased all-wheel drive configuration. 

Mazda CX-90 program manager Mitsuru Wakiie told GoAuto that while the new model’s six-cylinder engines fly in the face of the trend towards downsized powertrain technology, the company specifically targeted lower emissions, lower fuel consumption and higher power and torque outputs when compared to the four-cylinder engines in the CX-9 and CX-8.

“With the bigger displacement we were able to achieve both the driving performance, and, at the same time, the fuel economy,” he said. “I believe this is the best value from a customer's perspective, so I don’t think we are against the trend.”

Mr Wakiie intoned that internal testing had indicated the fuel consumption figures for the six-cylinder CX-90 models are lower than those of Mazda’s existing diesel and petrol large SUVs but no official numbers have yet been released by the brand.

The CX-90 will also score the brand’s e-Skyactiv plug-in hybrid EV powertrain, which pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, fed by a 17.8kWh battery pack for combined outputs of 241kW and 500Nm.

While Mazda says this powertrain has been “specifically tuned for the North American market”, the Australian arm has confirmed that it will form part of the local range in 2024 or later. 

“We will add that to the powertrain line-up in 2024 and beyond. It won’t be at launch. We will start with two powertrains and add the PHEV,” said Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi.

Asked about the potential clash between CX-9 and CX-90, Mr Bhindi said the two will coexist for the remainder of this year, but that the latter will offer a larger, plusher, and ultimately more powerful and more efficient alternative at a higher price.  

“As long as Mazda Corporation produces CX-9, we will have CX-9. We expect for 2023 we will have both cars selling side by side. And in the future whether that’s in our portfolio, will be dependent on whether it continues to be produced,” said Mr Bhindi.

 “Our second entrant into the new large platform family brings with it even more of everything – more power and performance, greater versatility and heightened luxury. 

“The first-ever Mazda CX-90 is the absolute pinnacle of Mazda premium; our most advanced model ever with exceptional levels of sophistication throughout that can be enjoyed not just by the driver, but the whole family,” he said.

Mr Bhindi wouldn’t be drawn to comment on the pricing and specifications for the new model, stating that the full details will be revealed in the coming months, well ahead of its arrival.

“In our portfolio in the second part of the year, we will have CX-5, CX-60, CX-8, CX-9 and CX-90. Pricing wise, we will cover a wide range to fit everybody’s budget.

“I can’t confirm pricing now, but it would be safe to say that, absolutely, it’s above CX-60. We’re still finalising what we’re going to do with pricing,” he said.

The company will open pre-orders for customers, which it says has become a “customer expectation”, in the coming months ahead of the arrival of the CX-90 locally, likely around September.

“Our main target audience is from within the Mazda family,” said Mr Bhindi, suggesting that the new model may not necessarily steal sales away from the luxury brands.

“Whether it’s for a lifestyle upgrade, whether it’s need based, or if it’s just choice – we believe we can attract some of the premium buyers as well. Which brand? That’s not obvious to say at the moment, but anyone who is in that upper end of the SUV market.”

Mr Bhindi agreed that this model, being the flagship for the brand, is likely to be the most expensive model yet for the brand, possibly even tipping it into six-figure territory, but he would not confirm any such pricing details.

“You will know in a few weeks or months,” he said.

The most powerful Mazda to date it may be, and it nods to the brand’s sportscar roots by adopting the so-called “Kinematic Posture Control” that is said to “suppress body lift on tight corners, enhance the grip and allow all occupants to maintain a natural posture”. 

The interior of the CX-90 is said to benefit from its wide body and long wheelbase, while materials inside include Nappa leather, maple, two-tone fabrics. Mazda is leaning into its Japanese craftsmanship inspiration once more, stating the stitching of the dashboard materials has been inspired by hand bookbinding and “an intricate Japanese weaving technique known as Kakenui”, using negative space to create a unique design.

Included technologies in the CX-90 will consist of three-row USB-C charging options, air-conditioning vents for all occupants and a 12.3-inch display screen (not a touchscreen) that includes a new “See-Through View” monitor to help drivers park more easily.

Other safety technologies include the brand’s autonomous emergency braking system known as Smart Brake Support, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and more.

On the outside there are lashings of chrome design elements, a set of 21-inch diamond-cut wheels, LED lighting all around, and the latest Mazda Takuminuri colour, Artisan Red.