Mazda CX-70: Big new SUV set for January 31 reveal

January 2024: CX-70 reveal date confirmed

Mike Stevens

The incoming new Mazda CX-70 will be unveiled at 3am Australian time on January 31, the Japanese brand has confirmed – almost exactly one year since we first reported on the new model (below).

Set to join the existing CX-60 and CX-90, along with the upcoming CX-80, the new CX-70 will round out the large end of Mazda's new-generation SUVs – assuming it doesn't have a giant CX-100 in the works.

If Mazda's growing range of SUVs is starting to confuse you, here's what we believe about the CX-70: it's effectively a five-seat, tapered version of the big CX-90.

The CX-80, on the other hand, is expected to be a slightly narrower and longer version of the CX-60 – think of the relationship between the CX-5 and the CX-8.

If you're still confused, hey, don't worry about it.

Continue reading our story below for more on the CX-70, and watch for the full reveal later this month.

February 2023: CX-70 confirmed

Nathan Ponchard

If there’s one thing the Mazda Motor Corporation isn’t short of, it’s brand new SUVs.

Indeed, it still has two major global models to be revealed over the next 12 months – including a sportier five-seat version of the just-revealed CX-90 which will be called CX-70.

While concrete details remain fairly scarce on what the CX-70’s unique talents will be, we know for sure that it’s closely related to the the CX-90, will be built in Japan alongside its three-row sister in both right- and left-hand drive (predominantly for the US market) and will share the CX-90’s drivetrains – meaning a pair of turbocharged inline sixes and a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid.

We also know it’s under close consideration for Australia and is currently having its business case assessed for our market.

Speaking to Wheels at the CX-90’s global online unveiling, Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi said that Mazda is currently looking at the business case for CX-70 (as well as a narrow-bodied, sub-CX-90 seven-seater called CX-80) – “to see whether that makes sense for us” – but that they’re not in a position to confirm its green-light status.

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Mazda CX-90

“It’s an option for us, and it’s not a restriction from the factory on whether we must take it or we must not take it,” he said.

That means if the dollars add up, CX-70 is go. Given Mazda Australia’s track record on having a ‘why shouldn’t we sell it?’ mentality with everything presented to them, confirming CX-70 for our market appears to be merely a formality.

Based on Mazda’s already-demonstrated efficiency in sharing body parts, you can expect the CX-70 to share most or all its shape from the B-pillar forward with the CX-90 – the bonnet, grille, and grille surround are already common between narrow-bodied CX-60 and broader CX-90. But it’s what goes on at the other end that remains under a cloud.

According to Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak, when asked by Wheels if the fundamental differentiator for CX-70 is that it’s a shortened, two-row, five-seat version of the CX-90, he replied “in very simplistic terms, you will be not far off the mark if you wrote that.”

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Mazda CX-90 interior arrangement (third row flat)

We also put to him that the CX-70 seems quite exciting in concept, given the CX-90 already looks dynamic, and it’s the three-row family version, so if you shortened the body, sloped the rear-end and dialled up the sex appeal, the five-seater could be really cool. He responded by saying “you would think so, yeah.”

As for the forthcoming CX-80, Mr Doak sounded quite pleased with the design direction of what is, at its core, a stretched seven-seat version of the CX-60 premium medium SUV.

Unlike the awkwardly proportioned CX-8 (our words, not his), Mr Doak said the relationship between the CX-80 and CX-60 was “similar but different".

"I can tell you that CX-80 looks really nice, they’ve done a really good job with it.”

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Mazda CX-50

As for the CX-50 – a broad, chunky, US-built medium SUV based on the Mazda 3/CX-30 platform – it’s looking highly unlikely for Australia.

Why? Simply because it’s a smash hit in North America and the Alabama factory that builds it doesn’t need the additional volume – or perhaps the complexity – to justify squeezing in a right-hook version of this highly praised SUV.

“It’s not on offer to us,” said Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi, even though they still have their hand up for CX-50, to register their ongoing interest.

“The conversation still remains that it’s built in the US for the US market, or North American market only. So it’s not even being talked about.”

Despite only coming on stream in April, Mazda USA shifted 21,329 CX-50s in 2022. This compares to 151,594 examples of the CX-5 medium SUV during the full calendar year.