The “Unboxed” teaser campaign continues with a new video, this time focused on the all-new crossover’s oily bits. Japanese movie star Hiroyuki Sanada is joined by the one and only Ant Anstead, as well as Mazda senior designer Yasutake Tsuchida and powertrain manager Jay Chen.
Apparently “built from the ground up to stir emotion,” the CX-90 doesn’t sound exactly thrilling despite boasting six cylinders arranged in a line. The first six-cylinder production engine offered by Mazda in the United States in a heck of a long time is also turbocharged, and a mild hybrid to boot. Dubbed e-Skyactiv G, the 3.3-liter mill has been confirmed with 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) in U.S. tune for the CX-90.
Inline-six engines are the specialty of BMW, and the B58 is their weapon of choice since 2015. The basis for the M-specific S58 engine is available in multiple flavors. The closest B58 to Mazda’s new sixer makes 335 horsepower and the same kind of torque. This variant can be found in 40i models and the likes of the 2023 Morgan Plus Six and Ineos Grenadier.
As opposed to the ZF-supplied 8HP in RWD-biased Bimmers, the CX-90 features Mazda’s new eight-speed automatic. Developed specifically for vehicles based on the Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture, this gearbox made its debut last year, with the introduction of the CX-60.
Not available stateside, the CX-60 will be joined by a three-row sibling by the name of CX-80. Think of it as the European cousin of the CX-90. As expected, the CX-90 will receive a two-row sibling as well, in the form of the CX-70. All of them are built around the aforementioned platform, which is compatible with hybridized powertrains, including plug-in powertrains.
In addition to the force-fed sixer detailed a few paragraphs ago, the CX-90 will also be available as a plug-in hybrid. The fuel-sipping option is based around the 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder. In the CX-60 for Europe, it produces 323 horsepower and the same kind of torque as the mild-hybrid sixer. Being a plug-in hybrid, the high-voltage battery enables a zero-emission driving range of 39 miles (63 kilometers) per WLTP testing.
The latest episode in the “Unboxed” teaser campaign also gives us a good look at the exterior styling of the CX-90, including the front lighting signature, power liftgate, and bi-tone wheels. As far as the inside is concerned, prospective customers will be offered white leather or faux leather upholstery and landscape-oriented touchscreen infotainment.
The latter mirrors the design of the 12-inch touchscreen display in the CX-60. The infotainment system also features a rotary controller and some buttons on the center console, which also serves as the transmission tunnel. BMW iDrive, anyone? It should be mentioned that – by default - Mazda restricts touch commands while driving. But on the upside, you can enable touch commands from the settings. Although it’s hard to tell from the video below, the CX-90 also features a digital instrument cluster.
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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