| Pros | Cons | ||
| ✓ Excellent styling, inside and out | ☓ PHEV powertrain still feels a bit unrefined | ||
| ✓ Smooth straight-six turbo engine | ☓ 8-speed transmission hunts for gears (and hangs once it finds the right one) | ||
| ✓ Great handling capability | ☓ Noisier cabin than some premium luxury options | ||
| ✓ Good all-around practicality, if you don’t need the third row | |||
2025 Mazda CX-70 Overview: What’s in a number, anyway?
If you’re looking at this ostensibly brand-new SUV and thinking, “wait a minute, isn’t that just a CX-90?”, I certainly can’t blame you. At first glance, I couldn’t square Mazda’s decision to bring out an entirely new model on the same platform with remarkably similar styling to its new three-row flagship crossover, just without the third row. Fortunately, the automaker did invite us out to get our first hands-on opportunity to test the CX-70, which it contends is the best option if you’re looking for a midsize SUV but specifically don’t need the extra seats to cart your kids around.
Why exactly did Mazda need to bring out a separate model lineup for that? The company’s official stance is that it helps create a unique distinction for the specific type of customer who wants a larger two-row SUV (I’ll cover that angle in my wrap-up below — I do actually get that logic). At its core, though, if you’re looking for a non-nuanced, TL;DR answer while researching your next purchase, this is more or less a two-row CX-90.
To that end, the CX-70 rides on a 122.8-inch wheelbase and has an overall length of 200.8 inches. One key difference with this model is that it does have slightly more cargo space (1.1 cubic feet, to be precise), at 75.3 cubic feet when compared to the 8-passenger CX-90. The overall exterior styling is just as much of a strong point as it is with the CX-70’s sibling, in my opinion, with the key external change being a different grille and larger, though non-functional, intakes at the front corners. Inside, the CX-70 is fundamentally identical to its counterpart.
As you probably expect at this point, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 also has three powertrain options. A 3.3-liter turbocharged straight six is available in two states of tune — either 280 horsepower with 332 lb-ft of torque or 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft for the “Turbo S” models — and you can still get the 2.5-liter four-cylinder-backed plug-in hybrid. The PHEV options uses a 14.8-kWh battery and beefier electric motor for a total output of 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft.
There’s good news on the pricing front, too: Trim for trim, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 costs the same as the CX-90 (at least at time of writing). So, if you are boiling your decision between the two down to that third row, you won’t have to bring price into it unless you’re shopping for the absolute base-level CX-90 Turbo Select, which is a trim that you can’t get with the CX-70.
All 2025 Mazda CX-70 models, regardless of spec, use an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Trims for the base spec engines include the Turbo Preferred, Premium and Premium Plus. As for the more potent 3.3-liter Turbo S and the PHEV models, you only get the Premium and Premium Plus trims. Pricing starts at $41,900 for the entry-level CX-70, and tops out at $57,405 for the Turbo S Premium Plus, or $58,905 for the PHEV Premium Plus.
The CX-70 and its sibling sport the brand’s best interiors, bar none.
While the straight-six powertrain brings a new level of performance to Mazda’s SUVs, I wanted to address one of the 2025 CX-70s other strong points: Its interior. We had the opportunity to drive the Turbo S (in the video below) and the PHEV (shown here), both in Premium Plus spec. That means we experienced the Nappa leather seats, the heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a full range of driver assistance tech.
Right in front of the driver, there’s a sharp 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster which changes the look and available information depending on which drive mode you’re in (gas models get Normal, Sport and Towing, while the PHEV gets a bespoke EV mode), while the center 12.3-inch display supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. With the CX-70, you also get Amazon Alexa functionality, and all models get wireless smartphone charging and three-zone automatic climate control as standard equipment. Premium and above models all get that digital gauge cluster, but the entry-level Preferred model still uses a mix of analog gauges with a digital information screen.
Overall, the 2025 Mazda CX-70’s host of buttons means virtually every control you’d want to operate is within easy reach. The infotainment screen itself is not your conventional touchscreen, so you’ll have to use the center console-mounted rotary dial to work your way through the MazdaConnect infotainment system. One exception, though, is Apple CarPlay, which you can operate through the touchscreen when it’s active. Functionally speaking, Mazda’s setup has all the options you want, but it’s not the most intuitive setup on the market. Some settings, like permanently activating the car’s manual shift mode, require digging through vehicle settings menus rather than a simple “M” button next to the gear selector.
Compared to Mazda’s past SUVs, the new CX-70 is definitely a step up in terms of overall ergonomics and comfort. The ride is firm but compliant, while the seats offer a pretty good amount of support. My only gripe on our hours-long morning drive is the road noise, though the P275/45-R21 Falken Ziex CT60A all-season tires could be part of the issue there.
What about the second row and cargo area?
While the 2025 Mazda CX-70 omits the third row from the equation, you don’t get any more legroom in the process. There’s still 39.7 inches of legroom for rear seat passengers, and most folks will find that to be plenty of space. Handily, the rear seats do recline, adding to the comfort factor. Premium Plus models add heated rear outboard seats, as well.
In terms of cargo space, the CX-70 offers up 39.6 cubic feet of capacity with the second row in place. With the seats folded, that increases to a decent 75.3 cubic feet, and there’s also a small bit of extra space beneath the cargo floor, as well as a temporary spare tire. You do technically get more luggage space compared to the CX-90, but the difference is so minuscule that it’s not a deal-breaker decision to take one SUV over the other. You get a bit more under-floor space, but that’s about it.
If you want the best performance, the straight-six turbo is the way to go
Taking the 2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV and the Turbo S on the desert and mountain roads around Palm Springs, California, the straight-six quickly made a strong case for itself. I definitely don’t want to dismiss the plug-in model out of hand, especially since it manages around 26 miles of all-electric range on a charge. However, my complaints mirror my CX-90 review last year: It sounds and feels rougher around the edges than the six-pot alternative.
While Mazda it’s been taking lessons from the CX-90 and tweaked the transmission mapping, it still spends time hunting for gears as you stamp the accelerator. Even more frustratingly, the PHEV also has a tendency to hang once it actually does select the right gear. Sure, you can use the shift paddles, but just leave it to its own devices and it will just sit there at 5,000 RPM for a few seconds once you let off the accelerator, which wasn’t the best experience.
Thanks to that 14.8-kWh battery offering up some extra all-electric driving, official EPA estimates for the CX-70 PHEV stand at 56 MPGe. Once you deplete that battery, though, the gas-only rating for that model is just 25 mpg, which is the same as the 3.3-liter straight-six (it will never fully discharge the battery, so you’ll always get 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque with the PHEV).
At 5,198 pounds, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV is still a capable SUV around the corners, even though you feel all that mass as you toss it in. Again, the 4,863-pound straight-six turbo is a bit lighter on its feet, but both models are perfectly competent family haulers. Well-weighted steering and solid power put Mazda’s offering in the upper echelon of luxury-minded SUVs as far as handling goes, and while it’s no Miata, it’s still a great option if you’re a one-car person or want a family hauler with verve.
Verdict: For a specific buyer, the CX-70 makes perfect sense
Mazda’s goal with its “Large Architecture” SUVs is to conquest luxury brands like BMW and Lexus, as well as higher-end mainstream offerings like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland or Summit. Technically having two options may work in its favor, as I don’t think many folks will particularly care about the CX-70 vs. CX-90 designation once it’s boiled down to the simple “do you want a third row or not” question.
Certain buyers may decide they don’t want the extra seats for various reasons: You don’t have that many kids (or any at all), and it’s more of an inconvenience than a value ad. I consider myself in that camp, and care more about having a couple seats for my friends and being able to cart around all our gear on a road trip.
With that in mind, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 is a great option offering style, class and satisfying driving prowess when you’re in a spirited mood. On balance, I’d personally lean toward the Turbo or Turbo S over the PHEV thanks to the excellent straight-six engine, as well as its 5,000-pound towing capability (compared to the PHEV’s 3,500-pound maximum). If you do want to tow with your CX-70, the optional tow package will run you between $700 and $900.
Another small aside: If you want any color other than Jet Black Mica (shown here in our walkaround video), prepare to pay anywhere from $450 to $595 extra. The added price is a bit of a bummer, but Mazda does have some great color options for the CX-70. Classics like Soul Red Crystal Metallic and Polymetal Gray return, while you can also get Zircon Sand (a metallic tan hue). Melting Copper is a new color for the CX-70, and it may be my new favorite with how well it caught the sun on our early morning drive.
2025 Mazda CX-70 price walk
From its launch, the new CX-70 brings in a few extra features the CX-90 doesn’t yet have (but likely will in future model years), like some touchscreen functionality across the board and Unresponsive Driver Support is a key new feature, where the vehicle will bring itself to a stop in the event the driver is incapacitated.
For 2025, Mazda is charging a $1,455 destination fee, which applies to all the numbers included here. Again, the base Turbo Preferred starts at $41,900. Stepping up through the trim packages to add features will bump the price up to $47,355 for the Turbo Premium, and $50,355 for the Turbo Premium Plus. The Turbo S Premium starts at $53,905, while the most expensive straight-six model, the Turbo S Premium Plus, comes in at $57,405.
On the PHEV side, there are only two trim options. The “base” PHEV Premium starts at $55,855, while the Premium Plus is $58,905 before any accessories.
Check out more on the 3.3-liter Turbo S version of the 2025 Mazda CX-70 in Kase’s video review below:
