Mazda drops CX-70 after just two years, replacing it with a five-seat CX-90
Mazda is ending CX-70 sales in the US just two years after the model’s debut. The Japanese carmaker is bringing the CX-70 and CX-90 together into a single model family, offering the CX-90 with five, seven or eight seats from the 2027 model year. The decision is unsurprising, as the two large SUVs differed mainly in their seating capacity and equipment.
Two almost identical cars
Mazda is replacing the CX-70 in its line-up with a two-row CX-90. Mazda now offers a five-seat cabin only in 3.3 Turbo Premium Sport and 3.3 Turbo S Premium Sport trims. The CX-70 and CX-90 share the same rear-wheel-drive-based platform, powertrains and 3119 mm wheelbase. Both are 5121 mm long, so the CX-70 did not offer a smaller alternative or one better suited to city driving.
Sales figures also support the logic behind Mazda’s decision. In the first nine months of 2026, 34,999 CX-90s found buyers in the US, compared with just 9686 CX-70s. With a gap like that, retaining a separate model name made little sense.
Six-cylinder engine stays, five-seat hybrid goes
The new five-seat CX-90 uses a 3.3-litre turbocharged inline-six engine with a mild-hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The lower-output version develops approximately 209 kW and 450 Nm, while the more powerful version produces 254 kW and 500 Nm. All-wheel drive is standard in both cases.
One significant change concerns the plug-in hybrid. While the CX-70 offered this powertrain with five seats, the 2027 CX-90 plug-in hybrid will remain exclusively a three-row model. Its 2.5-litre petrol engine works with an electric drive system to deliver a combined output of approximately 241 kW. Battery capacity is 17.8 kWh.
Mazda also improves the rear suspension
The change of model name comes with some technical revisions. All 2027 CX-90 versions receive revised rear suspension bushes and a crossmember to improve ride comfort on uneven roads.
Mazda has added extra sound insulation to the plug-in hybrid’s electric motor to reduce noise at low speeds.
Navy Blue Mica, Aero Grey Metallic, Melting Copper Metallic and Zircon Sand Metallic join the colour palette.
Five-seat version costs more than the seven-seat base model
In the US, the 2027 CX-90 starts at $39,700, or approximately €34,000, excluding local taxes and delivery charges.
The cheapest five-seat version costs $46,880, or approximately €40,000. The three-row model in the same trim costs $1200 more.
The five-seat CX-90’s high starting price reflects Mazda’s decision to offer it only in higher trim levels.
The change does not directly affect the European market. There, a similar role is filled by the smaller CX-60 and the CX-80, which seats up to seven. Both also use Mazda’s rear-wheel-drive-based large-car architecture.
Nevertheless, the disappearance of the CX-70 highlights a problem with Mazda’s larger model family. Offering technically similar SUVs under four different model names adds complexity but may not generate enough additional sales. In the US, Mazda has chosen the simplest way to address that problem: dropping one model name while retaining essentially the same car.
