NEW CAR REVIEW: 2025 Mazda CX-70 Turbo S Premium Plus - by David Colman

Su-WEET!

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

Wow! The most heart-warming sound I've heard in many months was the starter motor's whine as it lit off the strictly internal combustion engine of Mazda's new CX-70. No hybrid antics here. No EV silent treatment either. No wondering whether the damn thing was actually running or not. Just punch the big fat START button to cue the cranking symphony, and Mazda's all-new inline six-cylinder powerplant bursts into life. With the kind of perfect balance only a straight six can achieve, the CX-70's power unit idles reassuringly. But toe into the throttle hard, and this classic 3.3 liter six brings back memories of all the legendary Jaguars that depended on straight sixes for firepower.

Mazda's latest version, augmented by double overhead cams controlling 24 valves, and tweaked with intercooling and turbocharging, cranks out 340hp and 369lb.-ft. of torque. Even in an all-wheel-drive chassis that weighs 5,000 pounds, this beefy buffalo of an SUV runs the quarter mile in just 14.3 seconds and sprints to 60mph from a standing start in 5.6 seconds. Those are performance standards no Jaguar XKE could ever match.

With one major exception, the 2025, 5 passenger CX-70 is virtually identical to the 7 passenger CX-90, which Mazda introduced as a 2024 model. The difference lies in seating arrangement. The CX-90 provides three rows of passenger accommodations, while the CX-70 eliminates the tightly packaged third row in favor of a more spacious second row. It's simplified design also makes it easier to convert the interior of the CX-70 to a cargo hauling layout. Mazda provides a pair of electric control buttons located inside the aft C-pillar that allow you to remotely collapse both second row seatbacks (split 60/40) from the rear loading area. That nifty design allowed me to swing my mountain bike through the yawning tailgate and load it into the cargo bay with a welcome ease I have experienced in very few other SUVs.

The CX-70 is not just quick in a straight line, but surprisingly agile when the road throws you curveballs. The underpinning of good handling always starts at the contact patch, and Mazda doesn't stint in this regard. The Premium Plus model bolts a set of larger than life 21-inch alloy rims and radials to each corner. These behemoth rollers (Toyo Open Country A50) measure 275/45R21. We quickly discovered that for an all-season tire, their dry weather grip (TW 300) proved reassuring. Contributing an assist to the handling prowess was the typical vernier steering precision Mazda manages to generate in all their products. This giant SUV duplicates the exactitude in placement you experience in a much smaller Mazda SUV like CX-5 or CX-50. In fact, the kind of reassuring feedback offered by the CX-70 is very much a direct descendant of the exactitude you experience in an MX-5 Miata.

But the skimpy interior details of the Miata are thankfully absent in the plush cabin of the CX-70 Prestige Plus. Your first impression when climbing into the driver's seat will be overwhelmingly positive. The door panels and upper facade of the dashboard are covered with a faux suede material that feels plush to the touch and looks expensive. The insert cards in the upper section of the doors contain muted panels of a Formica-like material that complement the delicate triple row stitching of the armrests. The seating surfaces continue the penthouse vibe, with bands of subtle color variations enhancing the sense that you're catered to in that special way Mazda calls Kansei engineering.

There are, however, a few ergonomic stumbles. The handsome sweep of unimpeded suede bridging the upper dash relegates the fixed controls for all HVAC operations to a wide panel hidden beneath the dashboard's upper story. In practice this reversal of positions means you will be constantly struggling to operate no fewer than 21 control buttons you can barely see from the driver's seat. Each of these physical touchpads measure far less than a square inch. Some, like the heat/cool temperature pads are virtually invisible since they are tucked into the left and right recesses of the button array. Mazda would do well to reorient the dash layout in subsequent upgrades of the CX series so the controls take priority over the glamour of the dash cover material.

But surely, a couple of months ownership of this new Mazda will allow you to familiarize yourself with its ergonomic eccentricities. By then you will have come to love the sporting prowess that distinguishes the new CX-70 from the rest of the SUV field.

2025 MAZDA CX-70 TURBO S PREMIUM PLUS

ENGINE: 3.3 liter inline-6, DOHC, 16-valve, Intercooled and Turbocharged
HORSEPOWER: 340hp
TORQUE: 369lb.-ft.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 23MPG City/28 MPG Highway
PRICE: $57,405

HYPES: Sweet New Motor, Luxo Cabin

GRIPES: Discombobulated Control Array

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman