Mazda has shown off the 2024 CX-90, a new three-row SUV with all-wheel drive. It has a new longitudinal engine architecture and can be powered by a turbocharged inline-six or a plug-in hybrid with four cylinders. The CX-90 will be available in the United States this spring, but the pricing has yet to be determined. Mazda is officially going through a change. Even though the new 2024 CX-90 looks like a simple replacement for the existing CX-9 three-row SUV, it is very different in terms of its chassis, powertrains, and interior features. With a new 340-hp inline-six engine and a bigger footprint, Mazda’s SUV lineup moves into a new power and size range, and the CX-90’s design and available extras give the brand’s premium goals even more weight. New hybrid engines and a new chassis Mazda has been aiming higher for a while, but the new platform of the CX-90 makes it clear that it aims higher than the CX-9 ever did. It brings Mazda’s new longitudinal engine architecture to the US market, which the company calls “Large Platform.” This chassis can house a new line of electric powertrains, such as a hybrid system with 48 volts and a turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six engine with 340 hp and 369 lb-ft. Other options include a 48-volt system. A plug-in hybrid system can generate 323 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque thanks to a gasoline engine with an inline-four cylinder displacement of 2.5 liters and a battery pack with a capacity of 17.8 kWh. Even though all-wheel drive is standard, Mazda emphasizes the CX-90’s “rear-biased” architecture and “rear-wheel-drive proportions.” Both powertrains come with a new eight-speed automatic transmission that is different from others because it doesn’t have a torque converter. Instead, it has a multi-plate wet-clutch setup, also used by AMG. An electric motor is positioned between the inline-six engine and the transmission in the plug-in hybrid. However, the plug-in hybrid has a more powerful electric motor, and its battery pack should give it an electric range of 20 to 30 miles. This mix of mechanical parts sounds more like a BMW X5 than a Toyota Highlander, which is more or less what the CX-90 is trying to be. It sets this model apart from the two-row CX-70, which will be built on the same platform and from Mazda’s other SUVs. For example, the CX-9 features a transverse engine configuration and front-wheel drive, just like many of the mainstream vehicles in the same segment. However, its turbo-four engine is much less potent than the CX-90’s inline-six engine. Even so, Mazda guarantees that the CX-90’s six-cylinder machine will do better than the CX-9’s 23 mpg combined EPA rating because of its hybrid system. Elegant design for the outside The new platform also changes the way the CX-90 looks. Most people think of the dash-to-axle ratio, the distance in length between front wheels and instrument panel, as a feature that sets premium vehicles apart. This may seem like a small change, and Mazda has done a great job in the past of designing its cars to hide their small transverse-engine layouts, but the long hood of the CX-90 makes it look like something much more elegant and expensive. The CX-90 has a slightly different grille design than Mazda’s current models, and the styles of wheels and chrome trim on the lower body add to the luxury. The highest grade, which we think will be called Signature (Mazda hasn’t said anything about prices or extras), will have trim around the wheel wells that match the body color, while the lower grades will have black plastic cladding. There will be a few new colors, like Rhodium White and Artisan Red, which we think will cost extra, just like Mazda’s current Soul Red. Elegant Design of the Interior Since the CX-90 is more extended and broader than the CX-9, it has more space in all three rows. Mazda will have three different ways to set up the seats to fit six, seven, or eight people. With the extra width, the third row can seat three people differently, and the second row can be a three-person bench. There are two captain’s seats, a passageway separating them, or two captain’s chairs with a fixed console between them. Even though the third row of the CX-90 is more significant than the third row of the CX-9, the floor is still high so that adults will find their knees in their chests. There is more space for cargo behind the third row than before, and the seats in the back can be folded down flat into the floor to make more space. Mazda has filled this big cabin with high-end materials, especially in our top-of-the-line model. You get an exquisite atmosphere when you put together the fabric dashboard trim, delicate stitching, light-colored wood trim, and soft leather. We looked at a less expensive PHEV that had beautiful leather seats and what looked like carbon-fiber trim on the center console. Costing and Stock We don’t know much about pricing, features, or trim levels, but if Mazda priced it competitively—maybe in the low $40,000 range—the CX-90 may be a terrific value. In the United States, it will go on sale in the spring of 2023, and high-end models could cost more than $60,000. The CX-90 is a great middle ground between the Acura MDX and Infiniti QX60, which have transverse engines, and the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE, which have longitudinal engines. We can’t wait to learn more about the CX-90 and drive it, but early signs suggest that Mazda’s new approach is working.
