Mazda gave a teaser of its upcoming CX-90 crossover, as well as the straight-six that’s powering it.
While I originally thought (wrongly) that we’d spotted the new mid-range CX-70 crossover, what’s imminently coming down the pike is in fact the 2024 Mazda CX-90. The automaker confirmed that fact on Wednesday through its social media channels. In addition to the photo, they said, “the CX-90 represents our boldest expression of Mazda design to date. More to come.”
We can’t see too much of that design, though we suspect it will share at least some cues with the European market CX-60, launched earlier this year.
In time, a midsize CX-70 is on the docket, to the best of our knowledge. This time around, though, I definitely made the wrong call that the CX-70 would be coming first. Instead, this upcoming 2024 Mazda CX-90 is one of five new models as the company makes a broader push in the competitive SUV market.
Apart from the new styling direction, Mazda made it clear this new crossover will be powered by its inline-six engine. Based on what we know so far, it should be a 3.3-liter mill. That said, we may well see a four-cylinder-backed plug-in hybrid in our market as well. Like other automakers, Mazda needs to electrify its lineup and it has committed to doing exactly that within the next seven years. The smaller CX-60, introduced four Europe, gets a hybrid option, and their CX-80 flagship will also see a gas engine paired to an electric motor.
Sticking with the six-pot for a moment, though, I’m curious to see how much power it will produce in its North American spec. The Australian version, per a CarExpert report, is slated to put out 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, which isn’t dramatically more than the 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G turbo we’ve had in the CX-9 for the past several years.
It’s unclear at this moment whether the 2024 Mazda CX-90 will directly replace the aging CX-9, but we should have more information on that in the coming months.
