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LAUREN MCCAY: I'm here with the brand new 2024 CX-90
from Mazda.
Now its predecessor, the CX-9, we
love the drive and look of it.
But it had some issues of its own.
So I'm here today to see if this makes up for those shortfalls.
The shortfalls, being an infotainment system
that wasn't very intuitive, fuel economy
that wasn't particularly efficient,
and a lack of space in the third row.
But hey, the past is the past, right?
Let's get on with it and check out this new thing.
All right.
So this is a brand-new platform, and it's a bit bigger.
One of the things that Mazda usually gets right
is its styling.
And this really sits well with that reputation.
It's very clean, smooth, and pretty simple.
You can tell where it's coming from, right?
Personally, I like a little bit more
of a sharp look, sharp edges, kind of--
I'm a edgier gal.
But I think for the put-together, elevated look,
this definitely kills it.
I want to take a second to highlight this area, the dash
to axle ratio.
That's the distance between the wheel center
and the base of the windshield.
It's long and it's a tip off about the type
of powertrain beneath the hood.
It also gives this Mazda's profile
a more upscale proportion.
The CX-90 keeps that simple look,
but there is a revolution going on under the skin.
There are two new powertrains for this CX-90,
which sits on a rear-biased all-wheel drive platform.
Both are hybrids.
The first is a turbocharged inline-6 paired
with a mild hybrid assist.
That's right.
I said an inline-6, the type of engine
that's usually found in luxury models
because they're so big and costly to make.
This 3.3 liter pushes out 340 horsepower and 369 pound
feet of torque on premium gas.
That's a huge increase.
And I'm hoping it's smooth and sounds as good as I-6's can.
And that plug-in hybrid, well, it's
a 2.5 liter four with an electric assist.
It's good for 323 horsepower and 369 pound
feet of torque, which is a lot.
It's got a 17.8 kilowatt hour battery pack.
But right now, Mazda isn't saying how far the CX-90
will go on pure electricity.
Both powertrains get a new eight-speed automatic
as standard as well.
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OK, so actually physically sitting in this CX-90,
this is the plug-in hybrid, I'm immediately
comforted by the seats.
They feel like I haven't driven in it, but just sitting here,
it feels comfortable.
I feel like I'm held well.
It feels like if I had to go long distance probably,
I'd be OK.
The wheel feels good.
It feels like it's placed where it should be.
And it feels comfortable.
What I am liking is the leather on the dash here
and the frame around the air vents.
That's giving it a little bit of a expensive look,
maybe more expensive than what it actually is.
We don't know that yet.
But I'm liking that look and feel of it.
So down here, you have the click wheel, which is not usually
my favorite.
But I know that it's pretty standard now in most Mazdas.
But the unique part about this now
is that you can use Android Auto and CarPlay
in your infotainment system.
And it's a touchscreen for those things only.
So at least you have that.
And then for your other things, you're
going to have to go to the click wheel.
This is what I want to talk about, the center console.
This is a sticking point for me.
Usually, I kind of use my car as a second storage space,
almost like a little house.
I have very little storage with this center console.
It's very shallow.
I usually like to put a first aid
kit and lots of things in here.
I can barely fit a snack.
You do have two USB-C ports.
So that's helpful.
But as far as space, this is the plug-in hybrid version.
So maybe the other versions have maybe a little bit more depth.
But that's a bit disappointing, I'd say, for me.
The new switchgear looks and feels good.
And I particularly like these temperature toggle switches.
The fact that the infotainment screen is now 12.3 inches
makes the system feel more competitive too.
Unfortunately, the displays are inoperable right now
on this early model.
OK, so there are some improvements up here.
But what I really want to know is
if the improvements have been made to the back when
it comes to the space.
Because that really was a big point for us.
So let's go check it out.
So with the CX-90, you can get up to an eight seater.
And what I do like about this is there is a center
pass through here to make it easier to climb through
to the third row.
And another good thing, it folds down easily.
So the down side is getting actually in.
It was a bit difficult. A little clunky.
However, now that I'm back here, I
notice there is a lot more space than the CX-9.
That was the biggest problem with the CX-9.
It just felt cramped.
But here, you can comfortably seat two adults.
Now you can get three adults in the third row.
But I don't know if I'd recommend that.
Three feels like you're going to feel
that crampedness from the CX-9.
You can comfortably seat two people.
I have good headroom, I have good legroom,
I'm not bumping my knees up against the second row seat.
And I can fit comfortably and talk to my mate over here.
There's no one with me now.
But if there were, I'd be comfortable.
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Of course, I have to check out the cargo space.
So just looking at it without knowing the full measurements
yet, I can tell that this is more space than the CX-9.
Is it significantly more?
I think that's doubtful.
But it is bigger.
And you can tell there's more space here
to put in groceries and other things.
The other thing that I like about this
is that there are ports here for electric cords.
So that's helpful if you want to take this other places,
camping, and whatnot.
You have these two ports here for that.
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Now Mazda is promising some new active safety features.
But it's not detailing what those are at this time.
Just like pricing, fuel efficiency,
and how far the PHEV can go on batteries alone,
the company is holding all of that info close to the vest
until the CX-90 gets closer to its on-sale date.
We do know that we can count on certain segment staples
to be standard, including automatic emergency
braking, blind spot monitoring, and radar cruise control.
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So I know you have one more burning question for me.
When is this baby going on sale?
I have the answer.
Mazda says this will be on the market by this spring.
So you can look out for it then.
And I will see you next time.
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