Mazda Reveals CX-90 Specifications for Australia, It’s Way Pricier Than in the U.S.

The Japanese automaker is going through some major changes right now as it recently appointed Masahiro Moro its new chief executive officer. The executive has previously spearheaded the company’s North American operations, but that does not mean the focus will be solely on that region. Mazda also counts on Australia for a substantial chunk of its profits, and this is probably why it was swift to launch its latest (and arguably greatest) model to date, the family-oriented, near-premium CX-90 large three-row crossover SUV.

As opposed to the United States, customers in the land Down Under also gain access to a diesel powertrain – which, at the time of launch, was touted as an efficiency champion. Alas, there were some details left out on the edge of the proverbial cliff – that would be the full trim specifications and the crucial pricing strategy. Well, now all the cats are out of the Mazda bag, complete with grades and the price list for the first-ever CX-90.

Positioned above the CX-60 with which it shares the longitudinal engine setup and RWD or AWD Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture, the full-size CUV only has the e-Skyactiv G turbo 3.3-liter G50e (341 hp) and e-Skyactiv D turbo diesel 3.3-liter D50e (251 hp) engines, as there is no sign of the PHEV mill, just yet. Both benefit from an MHEV system, though, and CX-90 models can be ordered dressed up in seven exterior hues and only with AWD, for the time being.

For the Australian market, Mazda has prepared three grades – Touring, GT, and Azami – with prices kicking off at AUD74,385, which is around $49,758 at the current exchange rate. That is a far cry from the starting U.S. MSRP of $39,595! But let us remember that, in the land Down Under, the CX-90 only has three trims, and the prices include LCT (luxury car tax), whereas in America there are no less than eight trims currently available, up to an MSRP of almost $60k.

Back to the Australia-spec grades, the GT specification can be had for AUD86,085 ($57,616) with the 3.3-liter e-Skyactiv G or AUD84,800 ($56,756) for the e-Skyactiv D mill, which is a curious reversal of the Touring pricing strategy where the D50e costs more than its gasoline counterpart. The trend continues for Azami, which is AUD95,185 for the G engine and AUD93,865 for the D turbo diesel. That is $63,702 and $62,807, respectively, by the way. As for options, future owners can select between the Takumi and SP packages for the highest Azami trim, both available for AUD5k ($3,347) each.