Mazda Australia has put a hold on plans to introduce plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains of its wider-body CX-70 and CX-90 large SUVs, instead focussing their efforts on all-electric models, including the recently released Mazda 6e and CX-6e.
I recently spent a second stint driving the petrol-powered CX-90, which has a 3.3 litre turbo in-line 6-cylinder engine with a 48V mild hybrid system and i-Activ AWD paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The engine produces 254kW of power and 500Nm of torque and comes with two on-road drive modes, Sport and Normal, and an off-road mode and it also has downhill decent control. The official combined fuel consumption for this engine is 8.2L/100km and for my week driving the CX-90 in Normal mode I used 9.5L/100km.
This was a updated spec of the CX-90 that was first introduced in 2023 and this refresh was meant to deal with some of the transmission issues faced by the early versions of the CX-90. I found that it felt like the transmission was sometimes searching for the correct gear and there was one noticeable clunk of the gearbox at low speed. The i-Stop system does not offer a seamless transition when it switches on and off, for example when going down a hill the engine disengages and is running at zero rpm and when it does kick back in, you notice it.
The top-spec Azami grade comes standard with black Nappa leather seat trim and this CX-90 is optioned with the Takami package, which has pure white nappa leather, light-coloured trim finishes, and captain’s chairs in the second row. Both front seats have power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height for the rear of the cushion only, and 2-way lumbar support, with the driver’s seat getting two memory positions. The front seats are heated and cooled in the Azami and neither of these worked up to a standard that I would expect for a premium SUV and the cooling was noisy when operating.
I like the stitched details on the dash of the Azami and that the elegant heated leather steering wheel that has electric adjustment, so you can find that just right position. But I was not a fan of the multiple materials used or the cream wood-like finish on the centre console and it particularly annoyed me that the grain of the ‘timber finish’ was going in different directions on the flip up cup holder cover compared to the rest of the console. The cup holders have grippy sides, but no removable base for easy cleaning, and the drink bottle storage in front doors are a good size.
The 12.3-inch central widescreen display is still not a touchscreen, so you need to navigate it using the rotary controller on the centre console. In some ways I prefer this as you don’t get fingermarks on the screen and it can actually be easier than sliding and pressing on a screen, except when operating apps like Waze.
Under the split folding arm rest there is a shallow storage area with two USB-C ports located here. The cubby at front of centre console for your phone has wireless charging and wireless Android Auto, which worked well on the CX-90, and here there is also one 12V socket. Wireless Apple CarPlay is also available or they can be connected via USB as well.
The rear doors are wide opening, providing easy access to the second-row captain’s chairs each with ISOFix/rear tether child seat anchor points and manual recline adjustment and forward/back movement. They are heated and cooled, but the operation of the cooling is very noisy when operating, like the front seats. I found that there was ample head and leg room in the second-row seats and the under-thigh support was good.
The centre arm rest is fixed, so there’s no access between the two seats, but it does have a handy storage bin it in its base. There’s also a deep storage pocket below the split opening cover and two cup holders with grippy sides and no removable base for easy cleaning and there are additionally two good-sized drink bottle storage cubbies in each of the rear doors. To protect the little one’s eyes there are manual blinds on the windows and to keep the floor clean from their mess there are mats on the floor, but not over the transmission tunnel.
Rear passengers have their own digital temp, air speed, and mode controls and you can easily control these from the front of the vehicle also. The second-row passengers get two central air vents with individual direction adjustment and one central on/off control with two USB-C ports above the air vents. The panoramic sunroof increases the amount of light into the cabin, but only the front half opens.
You access the third row by pulling a lever on the shoulder of either second row seat and manually slide it forward. The gap that opens is large enough for an adult to step through and there is a plastic cover where you would place your foot. With the second-row seat forward in a position that is still comfortable for those two passengers, there was still enough leg room for me to fit in the third row. There was also enough head room and the only problem for me was that my knees sat up high so there was no support under my thighs. The third-row seats both have rear tether points behind the seats, but they are not labelled clearly to indicate this and have ‘third row only’ below them, rather than a graphic indicating the anchor point.
Third row passengers get two rigid cup holders in each of the wheel arches and there is one USB-C port on each side of the vehicle located near the bottom of the window. The air vent is slightly oddly positioned down low, so blows mostly on your legs only. To protect the carpet there are two mats that completely cover the floor, which can be removed for easy vacuuming.
The CX-90 has gesture open/close tailgate or it can be open/closed from the button under the tailgate, in the cabin and on the annoyingly small buttons on the side of the key fob. With the third-row seats up there is enough room in the boot space for school bags or a small shop. Or you can manually lower the split folding seats using the strap on the back of them. With the third-row seats down there is obviously loads of space, good for that last minute Christmas shopping. This large boot space has four substantial tie down points, two hooks, one light, one 12V socket, and one AC 220V/150W 3-pinned plug.
Under the boot floor there is some extra storage space for items that you would not need all the time and when my children were younger this would have been the perfect place for some emergency clothes and the like. Under the floor below this space is a temporary use spare tyre. The petrol CX-90 models have a 2,500kg braked towing capacity and the diesel models a 2,000kg and both have a 750kg unbraked towing capacity and a maximum tow ball weight of 150kg.
The Mazda CX-90 range does not currently have an ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating, but does come standard with front (driver and passenger), side (front and rear), curtain (front and rear), far-side (driver), and driver’s knee airbags. For convenience you also get auto lights, high beam control and auto wipers. The Azami comes with a 360° view camera with see-through view and front and rear parking sensors.
All CX-90s come standard with a long list of driver safety aids including Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Emergency Brake Assist, Forward Obstruction Warning, Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane-keep Assist System, and Smart Brake Support Front with pedestrian and cycle detection. The driver attention warning appears to be less invasive on this CX-90 than previous Mazdas I have driven. It used to bong at you the instant your eyes weren’t on the road and now it seems not as sensitive.
All new Mazda vehicles are backed by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty plus five year’s Mazda Premium Roadside Assistance. The petrol powered CX-90’s service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000kms, whichever comes first and the cost for the first five basic services on the CX-90 G50E Azami AWD is $3,399 according to the Mazda Australia website.
The updated Mazda CX-90 G50E Azami AWD also received a price reduction and is currently priced from $88,664 drive away and as tested with optional Artisan Red metallic paint ($995) and Takami package ($5,000) this CX-90 is $94,659 drive away while stocks last. You can Build you Mazda CX-90 online or visit your preferred Mazda dealer for more information.
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| Pros | Cons |
| Price reductions across the range | The operation of the i-Stop feature |
| Third row seats are usable | Noisy cooled seats |
| The driver attention warning is less sensitive | No ANCAP safety rating |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.