Mazda has officially unveiled the all-new 2024 CX-90, a new flagship three-row near luxury crossover SUV that will now top the brand’s growing lineup. Built on an all-new large rear-wheel drive biased platform, the 2024 Mazda CX-90 is the largest vehicle from the brand and will feature powerful new electrified powertrains.
Design is expressive and aggressive as we have come to expect from Mazda, it fits in well with the brand DNA as we have come to know it. Here though is a planted stance with an elongated nose more in keeping with a rear-wheel drive chassis format.
With longitudinally mounted engines and an all-new Mazda built 8-speed automatic transmission, standard rear-wheel-biased AWD, the CX-90 represents a concerted reach into a more luxury oriented place in the market that goes beyond feature content and creature comforts.
Power will come from two new electrified engine options. The top-drawer headliner is an all-new 3.3-liter turbocharged inline six with 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It features a mild-hybrid system comprised of an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission. No details were given as to the power and parameters of the EV modes or EV only range at the reveal however other than that it’s a mild-hybrid system.
At the more efficient end of the scale is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The system features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and an eight-speed automatic transmission with electric motor sandwiched between.
Like most, the PHEV can operate for period of time on electric only mode and then transitions to a conventional hybrid operation once its 17.8 kWh battery charge is depleted. EV only range was not disclosed but should be competitive with its peers at around 30 miles give or take.
Looking inside, the CX-90 shows off a cabin design that takes the higher end look and feel we’ve been getting from Mazda of late and brings it up yet another notch. It’s almost Volvo-esque in fact with a design language that almost skews Scandanavian with its patterned fabrics and trims along with horizontal lines and forms.
To be available in seating configurations of both six and seven passengers, the three-rows can be surrounded by rich materials on top-end trims such as genuine woods and Nappa leathers. The overal quality of materials and switchgear appears to be consistent with our last few Mazda vehicles which means well done.
Some features will be familiar such as the center console control puck for its Mazda trademark infotainment system that we haven’t been so impressed with over the years however. It does have a larger 12.3-inch display and more of the latest feature content that should make it competitive with its peers in terms of functionality though.
The 2024 Mazda CX-90 will be coming to market later this year and we should be hearing more technical information as we get closer to that time like metrics around its hybrid and plug-in hybrid systems, performance and efficiency.
