The 2024 Mazda CX-90 – A Japanese luxury SUV with a heart inspired by the Germans!
By Nauman Farooq
Mazda… you have got to love them for their unconventional approach to doing things!
For instance, back in the 1960’s, when everyone was consumed with making big, powerful, V8 or V12 engines; Mazda took it upon themselves to perfect and productionize the Wankel rotary engine – an engine concept that was marred by engineering problems! Mazda never gave up, and remains just about the only company to have made the rotary work.
Fast forward to current times, and just when the automotive world is consumed with making EVs; Mazda has gone about to give us an inline-six cylinder engine – that’s BMW’s territory!
Just like many modern BMW inline-six motors, the Mazda unit is both turbocharged and has a mild-hybrid system that can aid in performance and efficiency!
All very interesting in concept, but is it any good?
Well… keep reading, it’ll be worth your while!
Styling: From looks alone, the CX-90 is a winner! It’s face is similar to other current Mazda offerings, while the rear the rear three-quarter view is very similar to a BMW X7 (which isn’t a bad thing). So, if you like to walk up to attractive things, you’ll like approaching the CX-90!
Score: 10/12.5
Interior: Step inside, and your first impression would be really very good. The design of the cockpit, to the quality of the fit and finish, is all excellent.
You get all the gadgets you’d reasonably want (awesome sound system, good infotainment system, heads up display, etc.), in a spacious cabin, which combines decent comfort.
Decent, but not great, as I didn’t find the seat cushion to be comfortable enough, and while I’m complaining, the gear selector lever is a bit clumsy to use – lacks smoothness in operation.
The CX-90 is a three row SUV, and while the middle row has plenty of room, the third row is best only reserved for children.
Still… I think this interior deserves a score of: 10/12.5
Safety: The IIHS has given it a “Top Safety Pick+” rating, while the NHTSA has given it a 5 Star rating. So, we give it a score of 11/12.5 (no car is ever going to be 100% safe, hence you’ll never see us give anything more than a 11 rating.
Powertrain: A few engine options are offered for the CX-90. There’s a plug-in hybrid version that mates a 173 hp electric motor with a 2.5L inline-four cylinder motor (189 hp), for a combined system output of 323 hp.
Then, you can pick between two flavours of the 3.3L inline-six cylinder motor. Base spec has 280 hp, while top spec (as tested) has 340 hp. The inline-six also makes do with a 48-volt mild hybrid system.
Regardless of the powertrain, all CX-90 models come equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, sending power to all wheels.
Score: 10/12.5
Performance: If you saw the video before reading the description, than you already know that we timed the 340 hp version from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.75 seconds. Not great, but not bad, either!
Score: 8/12.5
Driving Dynamics: Mazda typically has a reputation for building fun to drive vehicles, so this is the part I was really looking forward to!
In all honesty, this is where it let me down; let me explain.
First, the ride is too stiff, which means it picks up all the imperfections in the road, and crashes over even the smallest of potholes.
Then, it lacks fluidity. Mazda vehicles, typically have a wonderful flow about them, regardless of their horsepower; the CX-90 just feels jerky and clumsy.
I allowed two other people to drive the vehicle, and they all felt the same way.
Where it redeems itself is on the highway at speed – this is where it feels stable, with a fair amount of power! So, if you live in Germany, and use the Autobahn a lot, you’ll like the CX-90.
Score: 8/12.5
Fuel Efficiency: In a weeks worth of driving, and covering close to 600 km, I averaged 9.4 L/100 km. That’s fairly good, for a 2.2 ton vehicle.
Score: 9.5/12.5
Pricing: Well… you know how I mentioned that this Mazda seemingly wants to pretend to be a BMW! Well, guess what, it is nearly priced like a BMW, too!
While base price is quite good, starting from $45,900 for the GS trim; but the top Signature trim is yours $63,300. OK, to be fair, you won’t get anywhere near as large a BMW for this kind of money; but with the CX-90, Mazda has crept up further in the luxury segment – it remains to be seen if customers are happy to spend this type of money on a non-premium badge!
Score: 6.5/12.5
Verdict: The 2024 Mazda CX-90 is attractive, has a quality interior, and a few drivetrain options – all that is very good.
On the minus side, the ride quality isn’t great, the gear selector is annoying to use, and it is a bit pricey!
I think, if Mazda sorts out the ride quality, and improves the ‘flow’ of the drivetrain, it’ll help this vehicle out immensely.
Total score: 73/100
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