Mazda readies major reset for premium SUV quartet

MAZDA is preparing a substantial overhaul of its four Large Architecture SUVs as it moves to improve the appeal of the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90 following softer-than-expected sales in several key markets – including Australia.

Mazda Motor Corporation president Masahiro Moro has indicated the company is planning wide-ranging changes spanning exterior design, cabin presentation and powertrains, pointing to a much more significant update than a routine model-year refresh.

Speaking with Japanese newspaper Chugoku Shimbun, Mr Moro suggested the scale of the work would be greater than Mazda has previously attempted, signalling a broader reset for a product family central to the brand’s push upmarket.

The four SUVs were conceived around Mazda’s longitudinal Large Architecture platform, combining a rear-biased all-wheel drive configuration with newly developed inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance and, in selected models, plug-in hybrid power.

However, the investment has not translated into the sales volumes Mazda had initially targeted…

The Large Architecture program was expected to account for around 200,000 global sales in the 2025 Japanese financial year, but deliveries reportedly reached about 150,600 units.

The shortfall has also been apparent in major export markets.

In North America, the CX-70 and CX-90 have not built the momentum Mazda sought, while the CX-60 and CX-80 have also faced mixed demand in Europe.

Australia has presented a similar challenge.

As previously reported by GoAuto, Mazda Australia set annual volume targets of around 6600 units for the CX-60, 720 for the CX-70, 7800 for the CX-80, and 1200 for the CX-90.

Actual 2025 sales fell short across all four models, with the CX-60 recording 5410 units, the CX-70 379, the CX-80 3851, and the CX-90 715.

The result was particularly notable for the CX-80, which finished at less than half its original annual target despite being positioned as one of the more family-oriented entries in the range.

That softer performance continued into 2026, prompting Mazda Australia to make significant pricing adjustments in July.

Those cuts removed more than $9000 from selected CX-90 variants and up to $8814 from parts of the CX-70 range, while plug-in hybrid versions of the CX-60 and CX-80 also received substantial reductions.

Mazda also brought petrol and diesel pricing into closer alignment across some grades in an effort to sharpen the value equation.

The latest comments from Japan suggest pricing changes are only part of the response.

Although Mazda has not yet detailed when the overhauled models will appear, or whether the changes will amount to conventional facelifts or something more substantial, the company’s existing technology roadmap provides some indication of what may follow.

Mazda has already confirmed that combustion technology developed for its next-generation Skyactiv-Z engine will eventually be applied to its larger inline six-cylinder engines.

Skyactiv-Z is due to debut with Mazda’s new in-house hybrid system in the next-generation CX-5, with the underlying combustion technology expected to migrate progressively into larger engines between 2028 and 2030.

That opens the door to meaningful powertrain changes across the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90, particularly as Mazda seeks to broaden its electrification offering.

A conventional full-hybrid system could become increasingly important.

At present, Australian buyers can access plug-in hybrid power in the CX-60 and CX-80, while the CX-70 and CX-90 are offered locally with six-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines.

Mazda has so far resisted extending PHEV availability across the entire Large Architecture family, arguing the CX-60 and CX-80 provide sufficient plug-in coverage.

That position may change as tighter emissions rules and stronger competition from hybrid-heavy rivals reshape the upper-medium and large SUV segments.

Mazda also has refinement issues to address.

The CX-60 in particular attracted criticism after launch for its firm ride and unsettled suspension behaviour, prompting a number of running changes and chassis revisions.

Later examples have improved, but the early feedback highlighted the difficulty of moving Mazda into more premium territory against better-established rivals.

The coming overhaul therefore represents more than an attempt to arrest falling sales.

It gives Mazda an opportunity to sharpen the identity of each Large Architecture model, improve differentiation across the range and better justify the premium positioning that underpins the strategy.

That will be particularly important in Australia, where Mazda remains one of the market’s biggest brands but still derives much of its volume from familiar models such as the CX-5 and CX-3.

The next round of changes to the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90 will be critical in determining whether Mazda can convert its premium ambitions into more consistent sales.