Mazda Kills the CX-70 After Two Years, Folds It Into CX-90

The CX-70's problem was never a secret. It was a two-row CX-90 with the rear seats removed, down to keeping the CX-90's third-row cupholders, and it cost more than it should have. Buyers noticed. The CX-70 fell short of 14,000 deliveries in 2025, trailing every Mazda nameplate except the MX-5 Miata.

The 2026 numbers were worse. Through September, the CX-70 managed just 8,390 units, down 27.7 percent from the same stretch in 2025. The CX-90 isn't exactly thriving either, with 30,367 units over the same period and a 25.9 percent drop of its own. For context, Mazda's smaller CX-5 and CX-50 together racked up more than 246,000 deliveries in 2025.

Critics piled on where sales left off. The plug-in hybrid powertrain drew complaints for running rough. Consumer Reports flagged below-average predicted reliability. Motor Trend's long-term testing surfaced day-to-day quirks and infotainment glitches.

Mazda addressed the CX-90's most common gripes: highway vibrations and a stiff, harsh ride. The 2027 model gets a redesigned rear suspension crossmember for better behavior on rough pavement, and PHEV versions get a revised electric drive motor with more insulation, meant to cut noise at low speed.

Four new paint colors arrive, Navy Blue Mica, Aero Grey Metallic, Melting Copper Metallic, and Zircon Sand Metallic, each adding $595. Select trims now add roof rails, Mazda Online Navigation, and Alexa Built-In as standard.

Powertrains carry over, all with an eight-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive: the mild-hybrid 3.3-liter turbo inline-six (280 horsepower, 332 lb-ft), the PHEV 2.5-liter four with electric motor and 17.8-kWh battery (323 hp, 369 lb-ft, up to 27 miles of electric range), and the Turbo S tune (340 hp on premium, 319 hp on 87 octane).

The base 3.3 Turbo Select climbs $400 to $39,700. The two-row options are now the 3.3 Turbo Premium Sport ($46,880) and 3.3 Turbo S Premium Sport ($53,540). PHEV pricing holds, starting at $50,695. The three-row range tops out at $57,970 for the Turbo S Premium Plus. Destination is $1,645.

One casualty worth noting: there's no two-row PHEV in the 2027 CX-90. Want that configuration, you'll be hunting leftover CX-70 inventory. The CX-90 is built in Japan, leaving it exposed to a 15 percent U.S. tariff.

[Images: Author]

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