Following in the footsteps of the CX-50—which is a CX-5 with a chunkier, more rugged vibe—Mazda has just unveiled the CX-90. But things are more than a little different this time around. Instead of leaning heavily on its three-row sibling, the CX-9, the 2024 Mazda CX-90 charts new territory, thanks to a raft of changes that may not be apparent at first glance.
Let’s look at what CX-90 specifications Mazda has divulged thus far and see how they stack up against the CX-9.
Chassis
The CX-90 differs greatly from the CX-9 before you’ve even walked from the bumper to the A-pillars. The CX-90’s chassis features a longitudinal engine layout, a 90-degree shift from the CX-9’s transverse setup. Mazda claims this new arrangement will give the CX-90 additional handling chops.
Before you go wondering about a rear-wheel-drive CX-90, allow us to burst your bubble. While a longitudinal-engine layout could permit such a setup, the CX-90 will come with standard all-wheel drive, just like the CX-9.
Mazda has also borrowed a bit of the MX-5 Miata’s chassis technology for its latest SUV. The CX-90 will come standard with Kinematic Posture Control, which claims to improve mid-corner stability by applying a bit of braking to the inside rear wheel.
Powertrains
The Mazda CX-9 utilizes a single engine for the entire lineup, a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four making 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel—output drops by 23 horsepower and 10 pound-feet if you opt for the cheap stuff. All-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission are standard.
Meanwhile, the CX-90 will offer two powertrains with varying degrees of electrification. The much-ballyhooed turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six is Mazda’s strongest engine to date, producing 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet on premium fuel and mating to a 48-volt hybrid system.
Those seeking extra electrons can opt for the plug-in-hybrid CX-90, which joins a 2.5-liter inline-four and a single electric motor to make 323 horsepower and 369 pound-feet—again, on premium gas. With a 17.8-kilowatt-hour battery in tow, we expect the CX-90 PHEV’s electric range to be somewhere below 39 miles, since that’s what the smaller, Europe-only CX-60 PHEV can manage on the European WLTP cycle.
Both CX-90 variants will pair with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s quite the unique slushbox, too, with a multi-plate wet clutch in place of a torque converter, and it was developed entirely in-house.
Exterior
Mazda won’t be giving out actual dimensions yet, but we know that the CX-90 is longer and wider than the CX-9.
When it comes to design, the CX-90 keeps it subtle, ditching the CX-9’s sharp character lines on the side and replacing them with smoother angles. The CX-90’s front fascia looks a little more vertical than the CX-9’s, which has a sharper grille angle that looks more beak-ish. The CX-90’s headlights aren’t as slim as the CX-9’s, but out back, the newer SUV has sharper, thinner taillights.
Interior and Cabin Tech
The CX-90 will gain a skosh of interior versatility over the CX-9. While Mazda’s current three-row SUV can be arranged to seat either six or seven, the CX-90 will add the option to accommodate eight. Mazda has not yet published actual interior measurements, but the automaker told us the CX-90 will offer more interior space than the CX-9. We’d hope so, if Mazda’s trying to jam another whole human in there.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that, because it’s so much newer, the CX-90’s interior is easier on the eyes than the CX-9’s. The CX-9 still relies on older hardware, like a taller gear lever, as well as last-generation steering wheel and infotainment controls. The CX-90 ditches climate-control dials for toggles, and the new gear lever is more compact. The steering wheel looks a bit more elegant too. And is that fabric we spy on the CX-90’s dashboard? You bet your bottom dollar it is.
Every CX-9 comes standard with a 10.3-inch infotainment display rising from the dashboard, while the gauge cluster comes with either a 4.6-inch or a 7.0-inch LCD screen, depending on trim. The CX-90 brings that tech a little closer to the present day, with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen that we expect to be standard across the lineup. There’s a similarly sized digital gauge display in the binnacle, but that’s likely reserved for fancier variants.
Price
Would you believe us if we said Mazda won’t talk about the CX-90’s price yet? That said, the automaker did tell us to look at the difference in price between the CX-50 and the CX-5 and extrapolate from there. The CX-50 is nearly the same price as the CX-5 at the base level, and that delta rises to nearly $2,000 on the top trim. So it’s fair to assume the CX-90 will start in the low-$40,000 range, with top trims eclipsing the $50,000 mark easily.
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