The PHEV version has about 40 more horsepower.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Mazda’s new CX-70 mid-sized SUV is, essentially, a CX-90 with just two rows of seats. The 90 has three rows and can carry up to eight people, while the 70 is missing that rearmost row and can carry up to five people.
Other than a few cosmetic differences and tuning tweaks, the engines and drivetrains are the same, the cabin is the same, and all the dimensions are the same. If you want to know more, read our reviews of the 2024 Mazda CX-90 and its plug-in hybrid option, the Mazda CX-90 PHEV.
“The cars are fundamentally the same under the skin,” says Jacob Stumph, a product specialist with Mazda North America. “Our big thing is brand awareness right now. Mazda is in a hypergrowth phase [but] to be candid, we don’t have that awareness of the average customer coming in. They know what a [Toyota] RAV4 is, they know what a [Toyota] Camry is, or what a [Honda] Civic is. They may not know our product line quite as well. By being able to tell that customer, ‘We have a mid-sized two-row [SUV],’ that might get them in the door.”
There’s another reason for not calling it a derivative of the CX-90. “We’ve also secured a nameplate for future use,” says Stumph. “It gives us something to play with in the future – a place from which to grow. It’s general customer awareness.”
(The naming could get confusing because Mazda sells a pair of SUVs in Europe called the CX-60 and CX-80 that are actually smaller than North America’s CX-50, which is smaller than the CX-70 and CX-90. Don’t think about them – they’re designed for narrower roads and won’t be sold here.)
The CX-90 was introduced a year ago and has been selling well in Canada. Its plug-in hybrid version came a few months after the debut, but the CX-70 has all its versions available now. The base model has a 280-horsepower turbocharged inline-six mild hybrid engine in two trim levels, while there’s a more powerful 340-horsepower edition that is about $8,000 more. The extra cost doesn’t come from engine hardware – the additional power comes from retuning its software – but from offering more features.
In truth, the more powerful engine needs premium gas to achieve its full horsepower. You can also use regular gas in the tuned engine and get 320 horsepower, which almost all owners will do for as long as there’s a 30-cent difference per litre in the price of fuel for most of Canada. Torque doesn’t change with the grade of fuel.
The plug-in hybrid model also has more power when it uses premium fuel, but because the difference with regular gas is an unnoticeable four horsepower, it’s unlikely any owners will ever fill up with the more expensive fuel.
Tech specs
2025 Mazda CX-70 Mild Hybrid
- Base price / as tested: $49,750 / $62,300, plus $2,195 for freight and predelivery inspection, plus fees and taxes
- Engine: 3.3-litre turbocharged inline-six-cylinder with 48-volt technology
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 280 / 332 (standard); 340 / 369 (high output)
- Transmission/drive: Eight-speed automatic / all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 9.9 city, 8.4 highway, 9.3 combined (standard); 10.3 city, 8.5 highway, 9.5 combined (high output)
- Weight: 2,157 – 2,205 kilograms
- Alternatives: Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe
2025 Mazda CX-70 Plug-in Hybrid
- Base price / as tested: $58,750 / $63,350, plus $2,195 for freight and predelivery, plus fees and taxes
- Engine: 2.5-litre inline-four-cylinder with 68-kilowatt motor
- Battery: 17.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 323 / 369
- Transmission / drive: Eight-speed automatic / all-wheel drive
- Claimed electric range: 42 kilometres
- Fuel consumption: 9.9 city, 8.7 highway, 9.4 combined (gas only in litres per 100 kilometres); 4.2 (electricity and gasoline, litres equivalent per 100 kilometres)
- Weight: 2,344 kilograms
- Alternatives: Kia Sorento PHEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Lincoln Aviator PHEV, Volvo XC90 Recharge
The CX-70 has the same dimensions from the outside as the CX-90.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Looks
Mazda calls the design of the CX-70 “dignified beauty,” and it’s an attractive vehicle. Its grille, wheels and bumpers are slightly different from the CX-90, but not in any way that’s better or worse. Non-owners won’t be able to tell the two apart, and owners will probably be challenged, too.
The rear seats on the 2025 Mazda CX-70.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Interior
It’s comfortable and user friendly, with a level of refinement at the high-end trim that belies the price. The shallow central display screen is one of the last to not be touch-sensitive, operated only by the rotary dial controller.
An overhead camera at the back helps you line up to the trailer hitch.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Performance
I only drove the high-output version of the turbocharged six, and the PHEV. The two were surprisingly similar. The conventional engine is a mild hybrid, with 48-volt technology, but its low-end electric power is used primarily for powering the accessories and driver comforts to save fuel, not for adding a low-end kick. When I stepped on the accelerator to overtake, it still took a full two seconds every time to gear down and prepare for the surge forward.
The PHEV version, which costs about the same as the high-output, is quick when needed. It can be set to drive exclusively on electric power, though the gas engine will still kick in if you really need it, and you stomp hard enough on the throttle. It can also drive solely on gas power to recharge or conserve the battery. I found its response to be swifter.
The front seats and interior of the CX-70.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Technology
Both the CX-70 and CX-90 are all-wheel drive but with a rear bias. They’re tuned with Mazda’s “kinematic posture control” in the rear suspension, which uses the individual brakes to counter any lift at the back as the vehicle tackles corners and deceleration. The little MX-5 roadster, which is rear-wheel drive, uses similar technology. The end result is to keep the chassis flat around curves and when braking, which makes the drive smoother. My passenger, who often feels the stomach-churning effects of twisting mountain roads, had no such problems in the CX-70.
Another clever feature is the towing mode when a hitch is fitted, and its control of the yaw damping between the two axles. The centre coupler assesses the conditions and will tighten the connection between the two axles at higher speeds, for more secure towing of a trailer. This is the sort of feature you’ll never notice until it’s turned off. An overhead camera at the back helps you line up to the trailer hitch, too.
The trunk on the CX-70 has 1,131 litres behind the second row and 2,147 litres when the second row is folded flat.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Cargo
There’s plenty of room in the back of the CX-70, with up to 1,131 litres behind the second row and up to 2,147 litres when the second row is folded flat. This is slightly more than the back of the CX-90 with the third row flat, because there’s another 30 litres of hidden storage under the floor where that row of seats would be stored. It’s also slightly more practical for not having additional gaps between the seats back there.
The verdict
The CX-70 is a practical, capable and comfortable SUV for those who want more space without needing to carry more than five passengers. The PHEV is better value for most buyers with its reduced fuel consumption, but its all-electric range of 42 kilometres qualifies only for a $2,500 federal rebate. Some other manufacturers offer PHEVs with more than 50 kilometres of all-electric range, which qualify for a $5,000 federal rebate.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the PHEV version of this vehicle cannot be set to drive exclusively on electric power. It can be set to drive exclusively on electric power. This version has been updated.
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