Mazda’s new three-row flagship will show itself to the world later this month.
Before its full debut, though, the automaker revealed crucial information about one of its brand-new powertrains. At launch, the 2024 Mazda CX-90 will pack a 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.
Keep in mind that Mazda quotes two power ratings for its turbocharged engines depending on the fuel you use. For the best performance, you’ll need to run it on premium. Running 87 octane will derate the engine a bit, though it’s not clear by how much at time of writing.
We were already aware of this engine’s inevitable arrival — Mazda’s continued to tease that fact over the past several months — but this gives us a solid idea of where this six-pot stands in the lineup. Encouragingly, those figures are significantly better than the 280 horsepower/332 lb-ft specs we saw for the Australian market. As it stands, this turbocharged, mild-hybrid mill does offer a performance incentive against the 2.5-liter turbo we’ve known for several years.
For reference, the current CX-9 produces 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque (again, on premium fuel). Depending on how much physically larger the CX-90 is, that extra 90 hp and 49 lb-ft could make a noticeable difference. Not only that, but such performance puts Mazda’s new SUV right in line with BMW’s “40i” models, which also pack straight-six power.
Mind you, we’re still a long way from knowing official CX-90 pricing, so the price delta if you were to cross-shop those two is a question mark for now.
That isn’t the only new engine we’ll see
The 2024 Mazda CX-90 will also get a rear-biased all-wheel drive system to complement the extra grunt. Apart from being a driver-focused experience, the company also mentioned the presence of “Kinematic Posture Control”. It’s a piece of handling tech Mazda first introduced on the MX-5, slightly braking the inside wheel in a fast corner to keep the car feeling as close to neutral through high-G maneuvers as possible.
Beyond the 3.3-liter engine, the new CX-90 will also see a plug-in hybrid “e-SkyActiv” option. The automaker promises that will also bring solid performance credentials, but it will tip the scales at least a bit more toward efficiency. Based on what we know so far, the 3.3-liter turbo engine should be the most powerful of the bunch, as well as Mazda’s most potent factory powertrain yet.
Stay tuned for January 31 to see more updates! In the meantime, check out our take on the smaller CX-50 crossover below:
