2025 Mazda CX-70 First Drive: Better With Two Rows

It’s nothing new in the automotive industry for a carmaker to spin off a midsize two-row SUV from a same-sized three-row model. That’s essentially how we got the Honda Passport out of the Pilot, and even, kind of, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (though with a little exterior nip and tuck) out of the Atlas. Both of those vehicles are competitors of the 2025 Mazda CX-70 that now offers generous cargo capacity for modestly sized families or empty-nesters, though that’s not its only selling point.

Mazda built a midsize two-row crossover before, in the CX-7, but the company discontinued it in 2012 after a short five-year run. Even back then, Mazda’s relatively big crossover was fun(ish) to drive, and we generally dug the design, but average fuel economy held it back.

The new 2025 Mazda CX-70 is a chip off the CX-90’s block, using the same platform, body, powertrains, and exterior and interior designs for the most part. Given its relationship to the CX-90, which we’ve tested in both straight-six and plug-in hybrid configurations, we were curious to see if the new CX-70 is just as sporty and premium. We also wanted to look for any signs of the low-speed lumpiness we encountered with the plug-in hybrid’s powertrain in the CX-90.

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Familiar Engines

The 2025 Mazda CX-70 is the second application for the engines introduced for the CX-90. As with the 90, most of the new CX-70’s competitors are built on front-drive architecture, including the two we mentioned in the intro, but the 70’s underpinnings are rear-drive based. The engine’s resulting longitudinal orientation typically helps deliver better driving dynamics. For this reason, and because of the SUV’s generally upscale character, Mazda identifies more direct competitors as the BMW X5, Lexus RX, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Every 2025 Mazda CX-70 features an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The entry-level Turbo model’s powertrain features a 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six mild hybrid that can spin out a combined 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. Turbo S models use the same setup but tuned to make 340 hp and 369 lb-ft. The EPA has yet to publish fuel-economy ratings, but we expect them to be like the CX-90 mild hybrids’ 23–24/28/25 mpg city/highway/combined.

As for the plug-in hybrid, it gets a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four and an electric motor ahead of the transmission that develop a combined output of 323 hp and 369 lb-ft. A floor-mounted 17.8-kWh battery pack drives the supplementary motor and can also help the crossover travel up to 26 miles on electricity alone. Again, we anticipate its fuel economy will be like the CX-90 PHEV’s, which sees an estimated 65 mpg-e combined. Mazda says charging the battery to full should take roughly 11 hours on a Level 1 charger and 2 hours and 20 minutes on a Level 2, which is about average for the class.

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Intoxicating Zoom

Mazda also says there’s no difference between its two midsize models’ suspension, tires, and brakes. Given they share powertrains, too, we anticipated similar driving experiences, and they largely were.

We jumped in a 2025 Mazda CX-70 Turbo S model first. Equipped with Mazda’s most powerful production engine ever, it finally delivers the grunt we’ve always wanted from the brand. It’s a great-sounding mill to boot and shows no hesitation executing moves on the highway, despite the SUV’s mass. In Sport mode, the steering can get considerably heavier (it’s a speed-sensitive design) and the suspension stiffens, maybe a tad too much for driving over less-than-smooth surfaces. Stretches of fatigued road will send some audible drone into the cabin, but not enough to drown out the audio. Most drivers will never click out of Normal mode, a good all-around setting, but it’s nice to know you could track your CX-70 if you ever wanted to.

Driving the plug-in hybrid version reveals some similar traits, and it offers the same amount of torque as the Turbo S. Indeed, its off-the-line performance and drivability feel pretty much the same, the biggest difference being the four-cylinder engine’s sharper note. We’re not sure it completely qualifies as loud, but again, with the radio turned down it was noticeable. Mazda sent us out on some twisty roads this time, and we got to experience the CX-70’s good turn-in and solid reflexes. 

One thing we tried to mimic again and could not find was the refinement issues that turned up in our testing of previous models. We went through several parking lots—many not on the official agenda—to try to re-create what we saw before. We didn’t encounter anything this time, but we had limited time with the vehicle. We’ll keep an eye out once we get one in our hands for an official MotorTrend test.

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Raison d'Être (It’s the Cargo Space)

Without the third row, this SUV is sort of a different beast as the unpleasantness of tight rearmost seating turns into a cavernous cargo hold. And since the second row didn’t move, standard capacity (behind the second row) is 40.0 cubic feet, more than both the X5’s 39.8 cubes and RX’s 30.0 cubes (but not more than the Honda Passport’s 41.2 cubes). Mazda even created additional storage behind the second row under the floor that’s accessible from the rear passenger doors. The same-sized underfloor space is in the PHEV, as well.

That’s not the new CX-70’s only trick, though. From the rear opening, there are buttons along the driver’s side wall for the SUV’s remote fold-down seats, a feature Mazda doesn’t offer on the CX-90. Like the 90, that part of the CX-70 can be equipped with a multitude of power outlets, including 120-volt plugs on both walls. Its rear doors are wide and swing out to practically 90 degrees, too. It would have been nice if Mazda figured out a way to have the seats fold flat, but space in back with the second row folded still seems ample enough for a couple to camp out in.

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How About the Interior?

The good news: the 2025 Mazda CX-70’s interior gets the upscale treatment the company is known for these days. The bad: It’s the same one you get in the CX-90, which isn’t a negative per se, we just wish there were more than a couple colorways to distinguish the two cabins.

Leather is standard, and we experienced the model’s burgundy and tan interiors, both with contrasting dark gray as a secondary color. Accents came in a perforated brushed aluminum and chrome, while much of the interior’s mostly inoffensive molded plastic panels are relegated to the lower parts of the cabin and cargo hold, mostly out of eyesight.

Dual 12.3-inch screens are standard, one for the driver and one for infotainment. Like the CX-50 and some other Mazdas, the center screen functions as a touchscreen with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto hooked up, both wirelessly compatible with the CX-70. Otherwise, you can use the SUV’s native Mazda Connect rotary dial. An Alexa assistant comes with every CX-70, as does technology like a trailer-hitch overhead-view camera and unresponsive-driver support, a system that can slow and stop the vehicle if it senses (via interior camera) the driver is, well, unresponsive.

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How Much?

Price is one factor that moves this SUV closer to offerings from BMW and Lexus. Trim for trim (what Mazda calls “Packages”), the CX-70 and CX-90 are the same price, except the CX-70 isn’t available in four of the available 90 trims: Turbo Select and Preferred Plus, Turbo S base, and Plug-In Hybrid Preferred. The questions for shoppers will be, five seats or eight? Underfloor storage or not? Prices start at $41,865 for the entry-level Turbo Preferred, $53,825 for the Turbo S Premium (the lowest Turbo S), and $55,775 for the entry PHEV Premium. That’s pricey for a mainstream midsizer but less expensive than premium rivals.

If you like your midsize SUV to offer you an engaging drive, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 should be on your shortlist, even if the more expensive BMW X5 feels like it drives a little smaller. The CX-70’s weight is difficult to hide here, but it also works to keep the ride composed and the cabin quiet. Its bigger audience will likely be like the sign-man who stopped us at a traffic break for some road work on the last leg of our demo drive. He was taken by the CX-70’s great exterior looks and said he’s in the market for an SUV for his family. We suggested the CX-90 for the third row (he said had three kids), but he took one look at the CX-70’s spacious second row and said, “Yeah, man—this is what I need,” not really paying attention to our recommendation.

Because of its roomy cabin, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 might be a better midsize two-row SUV than the CX-90 is at being a three-row. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes spinoffs can be better than the original. We’ll know even more after we test this one.