2024 Mazda CX-90: New Mild Hybrid, PHEV Powertrains Bring Big Boost

Competes with: Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas

Looks like: A sleeker CX-9 or a longer CX-50

Powertrains: 340-horsepower, turbocharged 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine (mild hybrid) or 323-hp, turbo 2.5-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor and 17.8-kilowatt-hour battery (plug-in hybrid); eight-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Spring 2023

Back in 2021, Mazda promised it would bring three new SUVs to the U.S. by 2023: the CX-50, CX-70 and CX-90. Following the arrival of the compact 2023 CX-50, Mazda has now revealed the largest of the trio: the three-row 2024 CX-90. Though it resembles the current CX-9 in both looks and name, the CX-90 rides on an all-new platform and becomes what Mazda claims is the most powerful mass-produced vehicle in its history. The SUV gets two new engine options, including the brand’s first plug-in hybrid that expands Mazda’s electrified offerings.

Related: 2023 Mazda CX-50 Review: Looks Aren’t Everything

It remains to be seen whether the CX-90 will replace the CX-9 upon its arrival, but the newly revealed SUV aims to one-up its counterpart when it comes to power, performance and tech.

Plug-In or Not: More Power Either Way

Unlike the smaller CX-50 that shares engine options with the comparably sized CX-5, the CX-90 gets two all-new powertrains that promise a significant boost in power. The standard engine is a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six-cylinder that makes 340 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque with recommended premium fuel. Mazda says the mild-hybrid unit improves efficiency and smoother acceleration from a stop.

Shoppers looking for an electrified Mazda outside of California (where its lone electric vehicle, the MX-30, is sold exclusively) can opt for the CX-90’s new PHEV powertrain. It mates an enhanced version of Mazda’s current 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and a 17.8-kilowatt-hour battery for a system output of 323 hp and 369 pounds-feet of torque.

By Mazda’s estimates, both powertrain options will be more powerful than the CX-9’s gas-only turbo 2.5-liter four-cylinder that’s good for 250 hp and 320 pounds-feet of torque. The towing specs for the CX-90 have not been disclosed, but it’s likely the new powertrains will improve upon the 2023 CX-9’s maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds thanks to the bump in power and torque.

The CX-90’s engines are each paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission — another deviation from the CX-9, which employs a six-speed automatic. The eight-speed helps improve the mid-size SUV’s efficiency and provides smoother acceleration, Mazda says. Fuel economy for the CX-90 is not yet available, but as a point of reference, the 2023 CX-9 gets an EPA-rated 20/26/23 mpg city/highway/combined. Like all Mazda SUVs, every CX-90 variant will come with standard AWD.

New Platform, Miata-Inspired Handling

In addition to offering more power, Mazda says the CX-90 will bring improved performance thanks to its new rear-wheel-bias platform, increased body rigidity and suspension tweaks. The CX-90 is also the first of the automaker’s SUVs to offer Kinematic Posture Control technology — a feature originally developed for the 2022 MX-5 Miata roadster. As its name suggests, the software suppresses the vehicle’s body lift when cornering to improve stability and traction, helping occupants maintain a natural posture.

Family Resemblance With More Family Room

Although it’s an all-new model using Mazda’s new platform, the CX-90’s styling doesn’t stray far from the automaker’s current SUV lineup. The exterior bears a strong resemblance to the CX-9’s and shares its sculpted lines with the CX-50. The SUV’s larger platform gives it a wider stance and longer wheelbase than the CX-9, and while the CX-9 only offers wheels up to 20 inches in size, the CX-90 comes with available 21-inch black-metallic wheels. A new Artisan Red exterior paint color was developed specifically for (and will be exclusive to) the SUV, as well.

Inside, the CX-90’s larger platform adds more space for passengers and cargo, according to the automaker. The CX-9 currently offers seating for six or seven passengers with room for two or three passengers in the second row, plus two in the third row. The CX-90 will seat up to eight passengers with a bench seat or available captain’s chairs for the second row and a third-row bench seat.

The CX-90’s interior falls in line with the brand’s other SUVs with clean lines and opulent materials including Nappa leather, wood trim and a unique dashboard fabric stitching inspired by Japanese weaving and hand-bookbinding techniques. (Materials like Nappa leather and wood trim are reserved for the range-topping Signature trim on the CX-9.)

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Tech and Safety

The CX-90 features a larger 12.3-inch center display screen (up from 10.25-inches in the CX-9), which is set high on the dashboard and relies on a control knob instead of a touchscreen for multimedia operation. Unlike some automakers that are moving away from physical buttons in favor of touchscreen controls, Mazda offers a host of physical buttons for access to climate controls. The CX-90 also adds available USB-C charging ports across all three rows.

Mazda’s i-Activsense driver-assist and safety suite (also standard on the CX-9) comes with features like forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and lane departure steering assist. A new See-Through View monitor will be available on the CX-90, but how the feature differs from the current 360-degree camera system offered on the CX-50 was not immediately clarified.

When Can You Buy It?

The 2024 CX-90 will go on sale in the U.S. in the spring, but Mazda has not yet announced trim options or pricing for its newest SUV. The CX-50’s pricing didn’t deviate much from the CX-5’s when it went on sale in 2022, but we expect the CX-90 will come at a premium over the CX-9’s $40,025 starting price (including destination) thanks to its upgraded engines and performance specs.

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