Let’s address the elephant in the room: the Mazda CX-70 is essentially a CX-90 without the third-row. So what gives? We took this 2025 Mazda CX-70 GT, finished in Zircon Sand Metallic, for a spin to find out what the fuss is all about.
Mazda claims the CX-70 is meant for people who want a full-size SUV with only five seats — or empty nesters in marketing terms. I get there are people who don’t want to carry the starting line-up of their kid’s basketball team, but the third-row seats in the CX-90 can fold flat to give you an identical 1,122 litres of cargo capacity as the CX-70. The only noticeable difference is the additional storage compartments sitting below the load floor, enough to fit a set of tennis rackets and small gear. With the seats folded down, cargo capacity increases to 2,132 litres.
The exterior of the CX-70 is well-proportioned for the most part, though the rear end is slightly bulbous around the rear glass area. The side profile has a very subtle body line (or swage line in design lingo) running very close to the CX-70’s greenhouse, making the door panels on this rounded SUV look very slab-sided. This results in odd reflections when juxtaposed against the swollen wheel arches at certain angles. This exterior trait can be bothersome to some people.
Despite this, the overall presence and style of the CX-70 is befitting of a more expensive European crossover, making competitors such as the Subaru Ascent and Kia Telluride look boring in comparison. The satin black accents on the exterior replace the CX-90’s chrome brightwork, giving it a more sporty vibe along with different front and rear bumpers, though we would’ve preferred actual fog lights versus the fake vents that Mazda tacked on the front bumper.
Stepping inside the CX-70 is no surprise to anyone who has been around a Mazda from the last decade. High-quality materials are used throughout, the interior design is attractive overall, and there’s an overall feeling of sitting inside something more expensive than it actually is. Our mid-trim GT with the leatherette seats was still an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable interior, but a drawback is the lack of interior storage, especially for those who like to lug around big water bottles and miscellaneous items. Other than that, I am very thankful for the omission of black piano trim that plagues a lot of new cars.
Lower-trim CX-70s, including our tester, force you to use the rotary dial as the 10.25-inch display is not a touchscreen, unlike the upsized 12.3-inch unit on the Signature. Although it is intuitive and simple to use, it makes the infotainment seem dated compared to its competitors that offer touchscreens on all their trim levels. Regardless, the screen itself is not obtrusive considering the horizontal aspect ratio is ideal for looking at maps and does not impede on your overall line-of-sight. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on the GT trim, along with Alexa integration that utilizes voice commands for various functions.
Powertrain options for the CX-70 include mild and plug-in hybrid options. PHEVs use a 2.5-litre inline-four, while mild hybrids use one of two variants of Mazda’s new 3.3L turbocharged inline-six. Our GT tester is equipped with the Standard Output inline-six, making a combined 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque with a 48-volt mild hybrid system on 87 octane fuel. The High Output version, on the other hand, makes 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, albeit with 91 octane fuel.
The “standard” inline-six provides more than adequate torque around town, and great acceleration on highway on-ramps. It offers smooth power delivery with the 48-volt hybrid system filling in torque gaps seamlessly for the most part. It’s more than enough for most buyers, and the fact that it only requires 87-octane to run will also put buyers at ease.
Hustling this 4,800-pound elephant around entrance on-ramps and long sweepers does not upset it at all. It’s as if the CX-70 says, “that’s nice, what’s next?” Steering and brake inputs feel very natural, a typical characteristic of current-generation Mazdas. With this rear-wheel drive architecture, the CX-70 feels less stressed when pushed compared to the outgoing front-wheel-drive based platform of the outgoing CX-9.
Fuel economy is rated at 10.3 L/100 km city, 8.5 highway, and 9.4 combined. The real-world fuel consumption is slightly worse, at around 11.0 L/100 km, with the A/C on full-blast. In more ideal conditions, some short trips returned numbers as low as 7.3. In short, you can achieve better than advertised fuel economy so long as you don’t drive like a gorilla.
For 2025, the eight-speed automatic receives updated programming after numerous complaints from early adopters of the CX-90. Initial complaints included transmission shudder at low speed, delayed kick-down acceleration, and jerky downshifts. During our time with the CX-70, the transmission felt smooth but we still encountered jerkiness and instances of confusion. One criticism I have is not having the full-manual mode accessible via the gear selector. The CX-70 (along with the CX-90) makes you go through a cumbersome process of menu-jumping three times in the infotainment just to engage full-manual control of the gearbox when using the paddle shifters. To add injury to insult, the car forgets your paddle shift preference once you turn it off. When you turn the car back on, it defaults back to momentary shift control rather than staying permanently in the setting you chose prior.
I also picked up on a low-frequency groan and slight driveline vibration above 4,000 rpm and on almost full-throttle. Though the inline-six itself is smooth, the driveline hum feels unnerving and gives an impression that this SUV doesn’t line to be pushed, despite what the chassis and suspension dynamics suggest. Perhaps this is just an inherent characteristic of this transmission and mild-hybrid setup; although it’s not as quick and refined as the industry benchmark eight-speed automatic from ZF, it’s a great effort from Mazda considering they made it from-the-ground-up on their own terms. Hopefully Mazda will sort all the issues out further down the product life cycle.
Pricing for the inline-six CX-70 ranges from $49,760 for the base GS-L trim, up to $62,300 for the top-line Signature. Our GT tester comes in at $54,350 as-tested. CX-70 PHEVs start at $58,750 for the GS-P, while the top-of-the-line GT comes in at $63,350.
Despite all the similarities with the CX-90, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 GT is a great vehicle in its own right with surprising driving dynamics for its size, though the driveline prefers not to be pushed. Set aside the marketing confusion from Mazda, this is a great alternative to those who want the style and substance of a premium SUV while being a potential bargain. With their push to elevate the entire brand up-market, Mazdas always seem to punch above their weight class. The CX-70 has accomplished just that and has set the tone for Mazda moving forward.
