Mazda has been making strides toward upscale, maintaining its reputation for being fun to drive while transitioning its lineup from a purely popular brand to a more premium one, and the introduction of the 2024 Mazda CX-90 has made a major leap forward.
Priced between $39,000 and $59,000, the new flagship model is a three-row family SUV that represents a crucial next step on that journey, and Mazda’s mission is unambiguous: Luxury credentials are now a hallmark of the brand.
Flagship Model Mazda CX-90: A New Era for Mazda
When Mazda introduced the CX-90 as a successor to the CX-9, buyers could be forgiven for thinking it was simply a response to the market’s desire for a roomier, three-row SUV. The CX-90 is larger than the CX-9, which could only seat seven people, and offers more passenger space and comfort. The CX-90 seats up to eight people and is roomier overall, with more legroom and headroom in the third row.
But where the Mazda CX-90 truly breaks from the past are its luxury details, including new, more powerful engine options and innovative technology previously only found in a few brands, including BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The Mazda CX-90 features high-quality materials
It’s a luxury brand’s hallmark to skip over basic, cheaper trim details, even on entry-level models, so the lower-priced Mazda CX-90 gets leather seats and premium details like second-row window shades, heated seats, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, etc. Even the base-model Turbo Select exudes luxury with leatherette seats, three-zone climate control and adaptive cruise control, but it only comes with a center-row bench and eight-seater seating.
However, if you move up to the higher-end model, you can choose from four types of Nappa leather for the seats, doors and dash panel, as well as heated second-row captain’s chairs and improved ambient lighting.
Plenty of power and a great driving experience
But the biggest change may come from the new engines Mazda is offering, all of which add to the three-row SUV’s power. The inline-six turbo model gets 280 horsepower, up from 227 in the current CX-9, while the Turbo S model increases output to 340 horsepower. The PHEV plug-in hybrid electric model gets a four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that together produce 323 horsepower and 25 miles of all-electric range. The added power is bolstered by a mild-hybrid, denoted by eSkyactive badging on CX-90 models.
The driving experience is further enhanced by responsive passenger technology designed to ensure passengers don’t have an unpleasant road experience, even on curvy roads, making the drive more comfortable. The chassis and seats react to curves, bumps and other challenging conditions. This is something Mazda has been working on for a long time, first introduced in the MX-5 Miata and CX-30.
Premium fuel for a better experience
Mazda is leaning into the premium mindset by letting owners decide how premium they want to go in terms of performance. Using premium fuel, Mazda’s turbocharged engines get a significant boost in not only horsepower but also throttle response.
But the good news is that owners have the choice of using either regular or premium fuel. Regular unleaded will not harm your Mazda’s engine, it will simply result in less power.
By adding premium fuel, the turbo engine can achieve up to 280 horsepower — with regular gasoline it’s 255. Turbo S models make 340 horsepower on premium fuel and 315 horsepower on regular fuel.
Mazda recommends not using regular fuel in the PHEV because the four-cylinder engine is tuned for premium, but using regular fuel will drop horsepower from 323 to 319.
The large center display is touch-sensitive and also supports Apple CarPlay.
At first glance the centre display looks familiar – it’s a bit larger than those in other Mazdas – and the shape and menus remain the same, as does the dial controller in the centre console, which has been standard in Mazda cars and SUVs for years.
But on Turbo S and Premium Plus models, if you connect your phone to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the screen becomes touch-controlled, letting you tap through messages, apps or maps, and the dial controller works well too.
Mazda isn’t the only one that believes the safest way to view a screen while driving is to place it at least an arm’s length away from the driver, and that a controller dial is the best way to operate the system (BMW follows this principle as well), but this idea has fallen out of favor as consumers have come to expect touchscreens and voice activation. Since the hardware is clearly capable of that functionality, we suspect it may make an appearance in the CX-90’s upcoming tech upgrades.
But that change can’t come too soon, and the current system’s capabilities and limitations are one of the few things holding the Mazda CX-90 back from feeling truly premium.
This center screen camera makes driving easier
It’s a feature you didn’t know you needed, and it’s the most sophisticated driver personalization system on the market for creating a custom driver profile. A camera scans the driver to create a profile, then adjusts the seat height and position, mirrors and steering wheel for the optimal driver position. BMW has a similar self-guidance system, and manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz also guide and recall driver settings, but Mazda’s system is impressive in its comprehensiveness.
I tried this out and was amazed to find that the system positioned my seat at my preferred height and set the mirrors to give a wider view of the road than the car – I found the suggested settings very comfortable.
This luxury flagship store stays true to its roots
It’s been a few years since Mazda announced its move into the premium luxury segment. The brand’s slow progress started with premium leather interiors and advanced technology, and has even added head-up displays to lower-priced models like the Mazda 3. With the addition of more powerful engines, innovations like driver personalization systems, and an update poised to roll, Mazda has crossed the line into a category that’s not just luxurious, but thoughtful and intuitive, and is firmly on its way to premium luxury.