Text and pictures by Amos Kwon
2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus
Trim Base MSRP: $57,450
As Tested Price: $59,420 (incl. $1,375 delivery, processing, and handling fee)
Review
Mazda is unabashedly moving into premium automotive territory, first with the three-row CX-90 and now with its near-twin CX-70. You can even outfit them both with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain that couples a 2.5-liter inline-4 and an AC motor for a total of 323 horses and, 369 pound-feet of twist. They also have nearly identical all-electric range. The CX-90 PHEV offers 26.1 miles and the CX-70 will go 25.1 before the battery is fully drained.
Look at both of them without glancing at the model nameplate, and you won’t be able to tell them apart… until you look inside. The CX-70 deletes a row in favor of a smidge more cargo space behind row two. Confused? Well, if you remember the 3rd-generation Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport, the former could be outfitted with three rows while the latter had only two. But, at least, they were two different lengths and two different base prices, but that still confused buyers. It seems Mazda likes playing the same shenanigans. The three-row Santa Fe cost more than the Sport, which made sense. Mazda, however, charges more for the CX-70 than the CX-90. Wha??
Design
The refined design of the CX-70 (and the CX-90), both inside and out, showcases a more upscale design language. As much as we love the way my own CX-9 looks, the new styling of both the CX-90 and the CX-70 has more presence. The slab doors have taller, contoured sheet metal, and the look is cleaner with virtually no body creases. The taillights are reminiscent of the current BMW X7, and the large mesh grille mates nicely with headlight clusters whose shape matches the taillight housings.
The one aspect of the CX-70’s styling that’s not as nice as the old CX-9s is the bulbous tail section that protrudes a bit too far out for our liking. The rest of the car is stunning and fresh. It branches out from the Mazda design language into upscale territory without deviating too much from some of the best-styled mainstream vehicles in the industry. The black door handles, wing mirrors, window trim, and fender well trim lend a sportier look than chrome would. Plus, they match the grille mesh nicely. Mazda gave it a premium look without looking derivative. The result is a crossover that still carries the Mazda ethos while ratcheting up the aesthetic.
Power and Performance
PHEVs are hot right now, and it’s smart for Mazda to get in on the game (abandoning its EV plan in the States at the moment, given the demise of the 100-mile-range MX-30). The problem is that the powertrain in the CX-70 PHEV feels half-baked. The electric-to-gas transition isn’t smooth, and it feels pretty unrefined. What makes things worse is that the CX-70 PHEV feels slow and rough unless you switch it to Sport mode, really the only mode you should drive it in if you care about decent acceleration. It will get to 60 mph from a standstill in just under 6 seconds, which is properly quick. Too bad it never feels nicely linear or smooth. It’s also loud and intrusive in an otherwise wonderful cabin.
Ride and Handling
The CX-70 errs on the side of firm, but the dampening is very good. That’s where the accolades stop, though. The CX-70 fails to deliver a good handling experience but not because it’s too mushy or ungainly in the curves. There’s some heft to the steering, but the sheer weight of the CX-70, combined with the rather brutal powertrain execution, does not inspire confidence. Cornering body roll is manageable, but going hot into a corner does not result in the kind of handling predictability we expect from Mazda, especially when you compare it to the utterly sublime CX-50, a far less expensive two-row.
Connectivity
What Mazda infotainment lacks in terms of fancy graphics and animations it makes up for in ease of use. Granted, the aesthetics could probably use a bit of an upgrade in the tech looks department, similar to what Lexus has done recently, but both of the CX-70’s 12.3” screens for instrumentation and infotainment are nothing short of straightforward. Touchscreen operation is relegated to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which can be frustrating when using the Mazda OS because, well, you simply forget and end up hitting the screen to no avail. We actually prefer the physical Commander control knob and corresponding buttons all located on the center console. They’re pretty intuitive and easier to use than a touchscreen when you’re in motion.
Room and Comfort
No matter what price point you’re at, it’s hard to argue that Mazda makes some of the best interiors in the business. Our Premium Plus tester was beautifully styled and downright opulent with red Nappa leather seats, red stitching throughout the cabin, and gorgeous brushed metallic surfaces. We love the fact that Mazda ditched the fingerprint- and dust-proned piano black plastic, replace by a mesh-like pattern material that looks and feels great. Switchgear is very good, both on the center stack, console, and steering wheel. The adjustment buttons for climate are a bit confusing, though, because they stick out and look like toggles.
Front seat occupants get 41.7 inches of legroom, and rear passengers get 39.4 inches of legroom. That’s more than both the BMW X5 and the Lexus RX. The seats in both rows are supremely comfortable, and even the middle occupant of row two doesn’t have to contend with a dramatic amount of seat bulge. Manual adjustability is very good for the back row, and there’s a slide-and-tilt function for accessing the cargo area, which provides 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 75.3 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. We especially liked the underfloor cargo area boxes that provide an extra measure of secure storage.
Value
The CX-70 PHEV is, ultimately, a flawed execution of a good idea. Just about everything about the vehicle is top-notch, except for the powertrain, which is impossible to ignore. You can dial the drive mode selector into Sport, which is the best way to enjoy the vehicle and the worst way to fuel efficiency. Point being, go with the gas-only version and call it a day. If you don’t have to have the premium look, extra cargo room, or PHEV capability, then we say go with a fully-loaded CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus and save yourself around $15k.
Amos has been an automotive writer and editor for almost twelve years. He has written for Gear Patrol, Askmen, Primer Magazine, Fatherly, and is the current automotive editor for the popular men’s lifestyle website, Cool Material. As much as he loves tracking supercars such as the Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black Series and the BMW M5 Competition, he’s most pleased by truly excellent and affordable mainstream cars like the Mazda3 and the new Chevy Trax. His dream car is the Ferrari 288 GTO, but he’d settle for just about any gas-powered, rear-wheel drive, manual transmission car. He lives in Evanston, IL, with his wife and three children.
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2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus
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