Mazda’s new Mazda CX-90 will be the largest and most luxurious model the company has ever offered here when the new seven-seater SUV arrives in August.

The Japanese car maker has opened the order books for the CX-90, which is the latest model to join its new luxury car assault and will be positioned as a more expensive sports-luxury alternative to the brand’s existing CX-9 model.

The CX-90 joins the recently announced CX-60 in spearheading a wave of upmarket new Mazda models set to land here in the next year or two with other models under consideration including the CX-70 and CX-80.

The CX-90 is positioned above the CX-60 and introduces a three-row seating configuration at the top end of the brand’s model range.

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It will be available in three model grades – Touring, GT and flagship Azami – with the choice of turbocharged, inline six-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, both of which employ 48-volt M Hybrid Boost MHEV technology.

Pricing starts at $74,385 (MRLP) for the CX-90 Touring petrol turbo, and tops out with the CX-90 Azami petrol turbo at $95,185 (MRLP).

Two different six-seat Nappa leather ‘Captains Seat’ options packs costing $5,000 are also available for the Azami, potentially pushing the list price of a Mazda through the psychological $100k barrier for the first time. (See panel below for full pricing details).

The limited-edition rotary-powered Mazda RX-7 SP, a homologation special race car built for the road and priced at an eye-watering $101,610 (MRLP), was the last Mazda to hit such towering heights, way back in the early 1990s.

Both the CX-90’s e-Skyactiv G (turbocharged, 3.3-litre petrol G50e) and e-Skyactiv D (turbocharged, 3.3-litre diesel D50e) inline sixes feature Mazda’s M Hybrid Boost 48V mild hybrid technology.

The technology is designed to support the engine at lower speeds while delivering enhanced environmental performance by using regenerative braking to replenish the onboard battery.

The e-Skyactiv D engine develops 187kW at 3,750 rpm and peak torque of 550Nm from 1,500 to 2,400rpm, with impressive combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.4L/100km, along with CO2 emissions of 143g/km. 

The e-Skyactiv G petrol engine returns a higher 8.2L/100km and CO2 emissions of 189g/km but produces a lusty 254kW of maximum power and 500Nm of peak torque, making this Mazda’s most powerful mass-production engine yet.

To give this some perspective, BMW’s renowned turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine, as fitted to several its models including the 4 Series, develops broadly similar outputs of 285kW/500Nm.  

Power from both engines is delivered through Mazda’s Skyactiv-Drive eight-speed automatic transmission – which has no torque converter and transmits torque directly to all four wheels via a rear-biased full-time all-wheel drive system.

Measuring 5,100mm from nose to tail, 1,994mm wide, and with a generous 3,120mm wheelbase, Mazda claims the CX-90 has more interior space in virtually every area than the current Mazda CX-9 seven-seater.

The cargo space is also claimed to be larger, totalling 608 litres overall (including under-floor stowage) with  both the second- and third-row seating in position, while folding both seating rows flat increases capacity to 2,025 litres.

Access to the third-row seats is made easier by a rear door design that includes a larger step to improve ingress and egress, while second-row bench seat uses the same one-touch walk-in switch as seen on the CX-9.

Mazda claims the CX-90 features a new and highly rigid body shell for improved crash safety and enhanced driving dynamics.

It also has a similar Kinematic Posture Control (KPC) system to that seen on the brand’s MX-5 sports car, which helps control the attitude of the CX-90 when braking at speed.

KPC works on the rear suspension to generate an anti-lift force that pulls the body down when the brakes are applied and can also apply slight brake pressure to the inner rear wheel under hard cornering to suppress roll and stabilise the vehicle’s posture.

As with the CX-60, the CX-90 also features Mazda’s new Driver Personalisation System, which adjusts the cockpit setup to achieve an ideal driving position for each driver.

The system automatically adjusts the driver’s seat to the ideal position by estimating the position of their eyes using the driver monitoring camera, as well as the driver’s height information, which needs to be manually entered.

The system then uses facial recognition to remember each driver’s preferences and can automatically retrieve more than 250 stored settings to match preferences, including vehicle, audio and climate control.

The CX-90 has an extensive array of driver assistance systems and the top-spec CX-90 Azami is fitted with ‘see-through view’, which is an evolution of Mazda’s 360° view monitor and provides a large monitor display that helps the driver see the situation ahead and to the sides of the vehicle (around the wheels) in the direction of travel, even in tight spaces.

Mazda said the CX-90 was available to order now ahead of first deliveries in August.

Pricing