The large SUVs in Mazda Australia’s range are evolving with the introduction of the CX-60 and CX-90 a couple years ago and now the CX-70 and CX-80. In what feels a bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears situation, Mazda are doing their best to create a perfect large SUV for every family.
The CX-60 is a five-seat slightly smaller SUV and the CX-90 is the larger seven-seat version. The CX-70 is the five-seat version of the flagship CX-90 and the CX-80 is a seven-seat version of the CX-60, do you follow? Australia is the only country in the world to have all four of these large SUVs available to purchase and we should be thankful for that.
The CX-70 is currently available in petrol and diesel variants in Australia and both have a 2,500kg towing capacity (braked), 750kg towing capacity (unbraked), and a tow-ball download maximum load of 150kg. I spent a week with the CX-70 Azami grade powered by the 3.3 litre turbo in-line 6-cylinder 24 valve DOHC diesel with mild hybrid technology. The 48V Mild Hybrid Boost assists the internal combustion engine and provides a boost in power over a traditional 12V system, allowing it to assist with acceleration, regenerative braking, and powering auxiliary systems
The Skyactiv-D engine has a combined 187kW of power and 550Nm of torque paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, i-Activ AWD and it has downhill assist control. There is three drive modes available Sport, Normal and Off-road and I spent the week in Normal mode. The official combined fuel consumption is 5.4L/100km and for my week I used 7.6L/100km of diesel. I found that the CX-70 drove nicely although there was some hesitation out of intersections from the gearbox as it worked out what gear it wanted to be in. I also thought that the CX-70 needed some more insulation as there was too much engine noise intruding into the cabin.
The CX-70 Azami comes standard with black or burgundy Nappa leather seats and this SUV had the optional SP Package ($3,500). The SP Package embodies a balance of refinement and elegance and boasts 21-inch alloy wheels, gloss black honeycomb front grille, and gloss black wing mirrors to enhance the exterior look.
On the interior the SP Package gives a sense of luxury through the use of suede material, tan Nappa leather seat trim, two-tone colour steering wheel, and tan-coloured trim elements. I particularly like the suede features on the dash and doors, I’m just not a fan of the tan colour and I wish it was also available in black. I also don’t like the outer air vents that protrude out and I have more than once bumped my knee on getting into the vehicle. But I love that there is no gloss black plastic on the interior at all and in its place is a lovely brushed metal look finish and the good-sized drink bottle cubby in the front doors.
The driver’s seat has power adjustment for recline, forward/back, front and rear seat height/tilt adjustment, 2-way lumbar support and two memory positions and the passenger seat has the same controls except for single seat height adjustment and no memory positions. Both front seats are heated and cooled with the cooled operation on par or maybe slightly better that most cars that have them, but it’s still noisy to operate.
The CX-70 has a really lux feel that goes beyond on the trim materials though. Starting with the hands-free keyless entry on both front doors and keyless start, so the key fob can remain in your handbag at all times. There are two sunroofs, of which only the front one opens and a heated steering wheel with powered steering column adjustment with position memory. The driver’s dash is a 12.3” configurable digital display and you also get head-up display.
The 12.3” infotainment screen can be used as a touchscreen, but you need to set this up under one of the menu options or you can use the rotary controller, but I did find this was a bit clunky at times. The voice control is activated by pressing the button on the steering wheel with the masculine looking silhouette on it. The functionality worked well for me for making phone calls, changing the radio station and setting a destination on the sat nav.
All CX-70 grades come with wireless and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but I could only connect using the wired option using one of the two USB-C ports located under the arm rest. At the front of the centre console there’s a wireless charger for compatible devices and one 12V socket. The premium Bose amplifier and 12 speakers is an excellent stereo system and the media sources available are AM/FM radio, DAB+, Bluetooth, USB1, USB2 for both audio and video, and smartphone.
The rear doors of the CX-70 open widely, great if you have a parking space large enough to allow you to do this. The rear seats have manual adjustment for recline and forward/back and there is a good amount of head and leg room for me in the rear seats. The outer seats are heated and you have digital temperature, mode and air speed controls and you can control the rear climate from the front of the vehicle as well. There are two centre air vents with individual direction control with one roller switch to close them off and two USB-C ports below the air vents.
For younger passengers the CX-70 has two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points and manual blinds on the rear windows. The centre seat can be folded down as an arm rest, if not in use, and it has two cup holders at the front of it. There are also another two good sized drink bottle storage cubbies in each of the rear doors. The mats on the rear floor do not cover the transmission tunnel, so this carpet may become worn over time.
The CX-70 has a gesture open and close boot or you can use the button on the boot, the key fob, or the button in the cabin. The boot is a good size, but slopes down towards the opening so items could roll out when you open the tailgate and there is no lip to stop them from falling completely out if you are not quick enough to catch them. Also because the boot is so deep the cargo cover is a long way back so even I had to stretch to reach it.
The boot space has four substantial tie down points, four hooks, one light, one 12V socket and one 220V 150W AC plug. If extra space is required there is a button in the boot to lower the 60:40 split fold rear seats, but you have to manually put them back up and there is some extra storage below the boot floor and below the temporary use spare tyre.
The CX-70 comes with 10 airbags and a long list of driver safety systems, but is currently unrated by ANCAP. On the CX-70 Azami you get Blind Spot Monitoring, Driver Attention Alert (can be deactivated but you have to do it every time you start the vehicle), Forward Obstruction Warning, Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane-keep Assist System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Smart Brake Support. For convenience you also get Adaptive LED Headlights with High Beam Control and rain sensing wipers. The Azami has a standard rear-view camera as well as a 360° View Monitor with see through view and front and rear parking sensors.
All new Mazda vehicles are backed by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty plus five year’s Mazda Premium Roadside Assistance. The diesel powered CX-70’s service intervals are every 10,000 km but no longer than 12 months, whichever comes first and the cost for the first five basic services on the CX-70 D50E Azami AWD is estimated to be $3,367 according to Mazda Australia’s website.
A process of trial and error has led me to the conclusion that the CX-70 is the large Mazda SUV that suits my family the best because I like the extra room it offers and the lux features of the Azami grade. The Mazda CX-70 D50E Azami starts at $85,220 excluding on-road costs and as tested with the SP Package ($3,500) and Machine Grey Metallic Premium Paint ($995) this CX-70 costs $89,715 plus on-roads. You can Build & Price your Mazda CX-70 online or visit your preferred Mazda dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The lux interior | I would like the option for a black SP package |
| The Bose sound system | More insulation needed to reduce engine noise in the cabin |
| The space available in the cabin and boot | Sloping boot floor |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.