Mazda lifted the covers from the third of three new SUVs in 3 years. In terms of hierarchy, it falls in between the Mazda CX-50, which arrived for the 2023 model year, and the flagship Mazda CX-90, which arrived a year later. But, size-wise, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 appears to enter the market as, essentially, a two-row version of the CX-90, but with a few neat tricks of its own.
I went to Encino, Calif., to get an early look at the new CX-70. While I got to see it and crawl around it, I didn’t get any drive time or many answers to our burning questions about this latest Mazda crossover offering. Let’s dive into what we do know.
A Mazda CX-90 by Another Name?
Mazda kept mum on many details of the upcoming CX-70, including exterior dimensions and interior volume. But at first glance, it looks like a CX-90 with a different badge on the back. Indeed, Mazda said it built the two machines from the same large platform. The three-row CX-90 spans 200.8 inches from nose to tail and 78.5 inches from side to side, and it stands 68.2 inches tall.
Upon a closer look, subtle styling differences do appear. In front, the CX-70 wears more aggressive bodywork. Black plastic accents with grille elements sit low and extend off the side, below the headlights, giving a slightly wider, sportier appearance.
Similar tweaks pop out from the rear, where lower red lenses extend way off to the edges of the bumper, right at the base, with a sharp, polished metal-like piece tucked just beneath. All that lies just above the black plastic base of the bumper, which itself extends the full width of the vehicle.
More black accents make appearances across the side of the body, too. Otherwise, the CX-70 closely follows the design language of the CX-90. That includes the up-to-21-inch wheels resting under the wells. Mind you, I like that — the CX-90 looks sharp.
More Space per Capita
If the CX-70’s footprint matches the CX-90, then logically enough, the overall space inside would match as well. However, because Mazda divided space between two rows instead of three, the CX-70 feels a world apart.
Open the back door and a wide split bench welcomes three adults with reasonable room or abundant space for two. The seat bottom proved plenty high to provide good thigh support for my 5’11” frame, as well as plenty of leg, hip, elbow, shoulder, and headroom. Clearly, Mazda set up the back to provide comfort for adults, even on long trips.
Ample luxury, too. Mazda will offer trim levels with a third climate control zone for the folks in back, as well as heated seats for the two next to the doors. Mazda also offers manual sunshades as well as two USB type-C charge ports. And, if no one gets stuck in the middle, an armrest with cupholders folds down too.
Clever Storage Space & More of It
In a CX-90, you get 40 cubic feet of storage behind the second row. Since there’s no third row to fold out of the way, I expect the CX-70 to offer at least that much space. Moreover, Mazda incorporated three sections of underfloor storage.
The one closest to the liftgate houses a tire jack and towing tools, as well as several small cubbies molded into hard plastic. The other two sections offer 6-inch-deep long, narrow tubs to store whatever, completely out of site.
Need more space? Push a couple of buttons on the driver’s side of the cargo area and the second row automatically folds neatly into place, giving you at least 75 cubic feet of storage, if it indeed matches what the CX-90 offers.
For Your Convenience
Up front, the CX-70 immediately reminds you of its platform-mate, the CX-90. Both the instrument cluster and center console touchscreen look like carbon copies of the CX-90s 12.3-inch screens, as does the head-up display. But Mazda kept mum on screen size and capability details.
Premium-trimmed CX-70s will get a wireless smartphone charge pad, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel. A Panoramic moonroof occupies the ceiling, letting in plenty of natural light. And an electric privacy panel closes it off when you don’t want that light.
A Mazda first, engineers also incorporated Amazon Alexa voice control into the CX-70. Simply say, “Hey, Alexa,” followed by a prompt, and the system will change cabin temperature and radio stations, or send commands to smart home devices. I tested it and the system picked up my Michigan accent with zero trouble.
Another Mazda first is a new driving aid called unresponsive driver support. Mazda calls this an emergency-only system. If a driver fails to respond to several, escalating alerts, the CX-70 will automatically decelerate and come to a complete stop.
Finally, as a nod to its sports car cousin, you can option the CX-70 with red Nappa leather seats and stitching that pays homage to the 2020 100th Anniversary Special Edition MX-5.
Moving Forward
One of two powertrains will lie under the CX-70s hood, both of them hybrid.
Option one is a turbocharged 3.3L inline-six named e-Skyactiv G, which makes use of a mild-hybrid system to help out at low rpm.
Option two is a plug-in hybrid named e-SkyActiv G PHEV. That consists of a 2.5L four-cylinder engine, a much larger electric motor, and a sizable battery pack.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because Mazda offers the same choice in the CX-90. Mazda did not announce any horsepower or torque figures. But I see no reason why these powerplants wouldn’t match the 323 horsepower for the PHEV and 340 horsepower for the higher output turbo inline-six, both managing 369 pound-feet of torque.
2025 Mazda CX-70 Conclusions
Considering the market’s relentless demand for SUVs, Mazda adding a larger, yet still two-row, entry seems a simple decision. And, why not share parts — a lot of parts — from the other SUV that shares this platform? The amount of space the CX-70 offers each passenger is tempting, not to mention that generous space for their stuff.
For reference, the base Mazda CX-90 Select starts at $40,970, including destination charge. If Mazda priced the CX-70 similarly and maintained the fantastic driving behavior of its big brother, it built a very compelling option.
Mazda assured us they’ll release all the details about the CX-70 in a month or so, and we’ll see the new two-row hybrid SUV hit dealerships this spring.
The chance to drive and review one to find out can’t come soon enough. Stay tuned!
