Every automaker builds a flagship – a vehicle that shows the best of what they can do. It’s usually the most expensive thing in the showroom, often the largest, and always impressive.
Mazda has an all-new one for 2024. The 2024 Mazda CX-90 comes with a choice of two powertrains. One is Mazda’s first hybrid – a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version we’ll cover separately.
The other uses a powertrain common to luxury cars – a turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine mated to an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system biased toward the rear wheels. It’s a setup known for smoothness and crisp handling.
Mazda will offer the CX-90 in eight trim levels. The top-of-the-line 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus carries a luxury car’s price tag – starting at $59,950 – and earns it with grand furnishing and all the makings of a great performance car.
340-Horsepower Turbo Engine
Mazda will offer two different “straight six” engines on the CX-90. The basic version has nothing to be ashamed of, with 280 horsepower. But the Turbo S Premium Plus gets a more powerful, 340-horsepower version.
Straight-six engines are known for their excellent balance and smooth power delivery. And 340 horsepower is a normal figure for the luxury classes, outdueling anything Toyota or Honda puts in a utility vehicle and landing firmly in the territory of midsize SUVs from BMW and Audi.
Rear-biased i-ACTIV AWD System
We haven’t had the chance to drive the CX-90 yet (no one in the automotive press has as of this writing), so we can’t vouch for how it handles.
But it has a promising setup. Mazda’s AWD system sends more power to the rear wheels in everyday driving, moving that power to the front only when needed for added grip. That gives you the day-to-day feel of a rear-wheel-drive car like enthusiasts love, but real cold-weather security. Combine it with Mazda’s Kinematic Posture Control system for added handling balance, and the CX-90 has the specifications of a fun-to-drive SUV.
Luxurious Appointments
Most automakers can give you leather. With the CX-90, Mazda will sell you Nappa leather – a finer grade of hide that goes through extra softening steps in the tanning process. The front seats are 8-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated. So, remarkably, are the second-row seats.
Three-zone automatic climate control with a pollen filter, LED accent lighting throughout, and a 12.3-inch full-color center touchscreen display (larger than the 10.25-inches of the entry-level trim) make the CX-90’s cabin feel more upscale than you might expect from what’s traditionally considered a mainstream brand.
Thoughtful Style
It’s not just the materials, though. It’s how thoughtfully they’re assembled.
Some cars feel well-made. Others feel crafted. The CX-90 pushes Mazda into new territory. We’re particularly fond of, oddly enough, the stitching on the dashboard.
Tone-on-tone oatmeal-colored dashboard fabrics are nicely set off by hanging stitches — “specifically inspired by hand-bookbinding and an intricate Japanese weaving technique known as Kumihimo,” Mazda says. We’ve never seen it on another car, which makes it feel special.
Those Nappa leather seats have quilting, which makes them look more sophisticated.
Safety Tech
The Mazda CX-90 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus comes with a full suite of modern safety aids. That includes advanced driver assists like radar cruise control with stop and go and automatic speed limit assist, and lane-keeping assist that can lightly aid steering to help keep you centered in your lane. It’s not quite the self-driving cars of the future, but it can be extremely helpful on long highway drives.
More Mazda CX-90
Read our full review or build and price your own Mazda CX-90. If you’re ready to take some action, check out the Mazda CX-90 models for sale near you.
