Following the CX-60 and CX-90, the Mazda Large Product Architecture will further welcome two more utility vehicles in the form of the CX-80 and CX-70. What do those numbers mean, though?
Even stands for non-US markets, whereas odd means US. Easy, right? Also worthy of note, CX-60 and CX-80 are narrow-body SUVs. The CX-90 and CX-70 are slightly wider, which is only natural because Mazda developed them both – first and foremost – for the United States market.
According to Mazda North American Operations big kahuna Tom Donnelly, the Japanese automaker postponed the CX-70’s launch. Rather than late 2023 for the 2024 model year, the two-row sibling of the CX-90 is coming sometime in early 2024.
Speaking to Automotive News, the president and chief executive officer of Mazda in North America has further confirmed an electric vehicle for the North American market. Likely a crossover based on an existing one (CX-5, maybe?), the newcomer is expected to drop in 2025. The mystery electric crossover will replace the MX-30 EV in the United States market.
The zero-emission version of the MX-30 was killed off from the US lineup only recently, although Mazda Canada continues offering it. Care to guess why the MX-30 EV failed so badly? In addition to the cool yet unpractical rear doors, the driving range is completely unacceptable at 100 miles (161 kilometers). Mazda may be waxing lyrical about its well-to-wheel approach to emission measurement, but in the real world, 100 miles in ideal conditions isn’t good enough.
Photo: Mazda
Turning our attention back to the internal combustion-powered CX-70, the standard engine will come in the form of a single-turbo 3.3 with six cylinders arranged in a line. Officially dubbed e-Skyactiv G, said powerplant is a mild hybrid that drinks fuel to the tune of 25 miles per gallon (9.4 liters per 100 kilometers). In the family-sized CX-90, that is. The CX-70 will be lighter, meaning that it’ll be marginally easier on dinosaur juice than its family-sized brother.
Depending on trim, the 3.3 sixer develops 280 or 340 horsepower. Peak torque is rated at 332 and 369 pound-feet, which is 450 and 500 Nm in the metric system. Otherwise put, said engine isn’t as stressed as the 3.0-liter B58 in the 2024 BMW X5. For reference, the sDrive40i and xDrive40i are rated at 375 horsepower and 398 pound-feet (540 Nm).
Similar to the CX-90, the upcoming CX-70 will further sweeten the deal with a naturally-aspirated I4 and plug-in hybrid assistance. This one is advertised as the e-Skyactiv PHEV, and – rather impressively – Mazda quotes the very same peak torque as the high-output version of the 3.3er.
Good for 323 horsepower at full chatter, the CX-90 PHEV uses a 17.8-kWh battery. Mazda claims 26 miles (42 kilometers) of electric driving range, along with a combined fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon from the four-cylinder lump alone. In hybrid mode, the estimate is listed as being 56 MPGe.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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