2024 Mazda CX-70 five-seat SUV revealed, confirmed for Australia

The 2024 Mazda CX-70 has debuted as a five-seat twin to the CX-90 – and it’s coming to Australia.

Effectively a CX-90 sans its third-row, the CX-70 is tailored to American tastes and has a sportier blacked-out look, a price tag that's likely to be more affordable, and some Mazda-first tech.

The CX-70 is a rival to other five-seat large SUVs (known in the United States as midsize crossovers) such as the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Edge (once sold here as the Endura), Honda Passport, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.

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Mazda has not released CX-70 dimensions, but it looks eerily similar to the CX-90. If it isn't using the same body panels, we'd be surprised. It means the brand's large range will be structured like Jeep's in Oz with five-seat Grand Cherokee the new Mazda's natural rival, and the stretched Grand Cherokee L remaining CX-90's foe.

The CX-70 will soon be joined by another rear-biased Large Architecture Mazda in Australia, the seven-seat CX-80, which is based on the midsize CX-60 and is likely to be smaller than the CX-70 and CX-90.

The addition of the CX-70 will see Mazda Australia selling four medium-to-large SUVs: CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90. By the time all models are online, Mazda's premium line-up will have a lot of similar options, all with prices likely to fall between $60,000 and $100,000.

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Marketed as a “wide body two-row SUV”, the CX-70 will be powered by the same engines as the CX-90: a 187kW/550Nm 3.3-litre ‘D50e’ inline-six turbo-diesel or a high-output 254kW/500Nm 3.3-litre ‘G50e’ inline-six turbo-petrol, both matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-biased all-wheel drive.

A plug-in hybrid CX-70 identical to the CX-60 and CX-90, comprising a 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder mated to an electric motor and 17.8kWh battery for a 241kW/500Nm total system output, will be offered in North America. It hasn’t been locked-in for Australia.

Unlike diesel versions of the CX-60 and CX-90 which are limited to two tonnes, Mazda Australia claims a 2.5-tonne braked towing capacity for both the petrol and diesel CX-70, owing to its “lower overall vehicle weight compared to CX-90”.

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It also features a new trailer hitch guide to assist with connecting to a trailer.

Mazda has focused on maximising the CX-70’s luggage space with three underfloor storage areas – including where the CX-90’s third-row would usually be stowed – and a Mazda-first remote fold-down function for the second row from switches located in the boot.

Other new technology for Mazda includes an emergency stop assist function when the driver is using the Cruising and Traffic Support semi-autonomous steering mode on the highway to alert them “​​in stages if it detects closed eyes or distraction”.

The emergency stop function will eventually slow and stop the vehicle if there is no driver engagement to assist in avoiding an accident when a driver becomes impaired.

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In North America, the CX-70 will join the facelifted MX-5 sports car in supporting Amazon Alexa voice assistant integration, though a Mazda Australia spokesperson confirmed this technology will not be available in local vehicles.

However, the spokesperson did confirm the CX-70 will feature Mazda Connected Services in Australia, with further details on the roll-out due to be announced imminently.

While the CX-70 adopts a near-identical body to the circa-5.1-metre long CX-90, unique design touches include sportier looking front and rear bumpers, a honeycomb-look grille design (similar to the CX-60 GT and Azami SP), blacked-out exterior trim, unique alloy wheels up to 21 inches in diameter, and available burgundy red leather upholstery.

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While Mazda said it is unable to confirm the CX-70’s exact dimensions or luggage capacity, it has announced that occupant space in the first and second rows of seats will be “the same as CX-90”.

The 2024 Mazda CX-70 is due in Australia at the end of this year “at the earliest”, with further details – including pricing, features and specific timing – to be announced closer to its local launch.

North American pricing and specifications are due to be confirmed in mid-February when we’ll have a better idea of how the CX-70 could be positioned compared to the CX-90 in Australia.

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However, we’d expect the CX-70 to be around $2500 to $5000 more affordable than the CX-90, which is currently priced between $74,550 and $100,015 before on-road costs. Dearer plug-in hybrid versions of the CX-90 are still to arrive in Australia.

“As we continue to advance our product range with a host of cutting-edge products, the Mazda CX-70 represents yet another milestone for our brand – offering the hallmarks of the now well-established Mazda Premium philosophy that shines brightly in the CX-60 and CX-90, but with a distinct focus on pursuing an active and fulfilling lifestyle,” said Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi.

“The CX-70 is a unique expression of our customers’ interests and stands out on its own as a highly compelling option, facilitating new life experiences and rewarding those wanting to experience the joy of driving. It also offers a wider breadth of choice within our Large Product range, skilfully meeting the diverse needs of our market.”