Driven: 2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Is Mazda’s Best SUV Yet

The 2025 Mazda CX-70 is an all-new SUV with two rows of seating and plenty of room for cargo. It slots in just below the three-row CX-90, and the two have a lot in common – this is pretty much a CX-90 minus that extra row. It’s so much the same that the third-row cupholders still exist in the CX-70 even though there is no third row. What’s going on here?

Well, aside from the unnecessary cupholders, the CX-70 delivers something unique. It has all the cargo room of a three-row without the extra seating getting in the way; even if you fold a third row, it’s still there taking up some space. The CX-70 solves that problem with all the style and upscale materials that make this not quite a luxury car, but something pretty darn close. We spent some time with the CX-70 in plug-in hybrid guise to get to grips with whether it is, indeed, the perfect two-row SUV.

Exterior: This Looks Familiar

The CX-70 looks a lot like the CX-90 with sleek styling that gives it a sporty look despite being a large SUV. This is an attractive car with a premium vibe that includes a large grille and intricate wheel designs. There’s also a low front fascia that helps give it an aggressive stance without coming off as overdone. We will always and forever be a fan of Mazda’s Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint, which is quite simply the most beautiful red of any car. It adds $595 to the bottom line and it is worth every penny.

The CX-70 and CX-90 have the same exterior dimensions – length, width, wheelbase, and height are all the same. The only noticeable difference between Mazda’s largest two SUVs is that there is more chrome accents on the CX-90 and more black on the CX-70. It’s a small difference and honestly looks beautiful either way. To really understand what sets the cars apart, however, you’ll need to step inside.

Interior: A Premium Experience

One of the things that makes any Mazda stand out from the crowd is the interior. These aren’t luxury cars, but they come really close, especially on top trims. Everything is beautiful with high-quality materials and a thoughtful design. Open the door and you’re treated to an interior that looks like it belongs in a far more expensive car.

The CX-70 is no exception to that rule with standard leather seating surfaces on base trims and quilted Nappa leather as you move up the trim ladder. The plug-in hybrid version is available in just two trims with the base Premium coming with more than just the bare necessities. It has a standard eight-way power driver’s seat and four-way power passenger seat, with both front perches heated. Move up to the Premium Plus and there are ventilated front seats, an eight-way power front passenger seat, and a heated second row.

Those seats are comfortable with plenty of cushion for longer drivers and enough support to keep road weariness to a minimum. The second row easily accommodates three adults, though it’s better for two on a road trip. Still, these are bench seats that don’t punish you for not grabbing the front seat before your friends. There’s 41.7 inches of legroom in the first row and 39.4 inches in the second row, which is the exact same amount of room that you’ll find in the CX-90.

Infotainment: A Mixed Bag

Let’s just get this out of the way first: The Mazda infotainment system isn’t for everyone. The challenge is the way it’s controlled. For the longest time, there was no touchscreen capability and the screen was even pushed back so that it wasn’t easy to reach, which helped reduce the chance of your passenger trying use it that way. The going wisdom is that touchscreens are distracting, so Mazda has a series of buttons and a rotary dial on the center console instead. We aren’t fans. They say that, in a short time, it becomes quite intuitive, but it has yet to become intuitive for us in the week we spent with the car.

Another challenge is that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are designed to be used with a touchscreen, not with physical controls. Mazda heard that complaint, and now they have a touchscreen, but only when using those apps. We like this and find it much better. However, it is still confusing, especially for passengers. Sometimes it’s touch, sometimes it’s not, and we can’t even tell you how many times we all tried to use it as a touchscreen to no avail.

That’s really our biggest complaint about this or any Mazda. The system is otherwise good with crisp graphics, an intuitive menu system, and a large 12.3-inch screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless and all but the base trim with the gas engine includes a 12-speaker Bose audio system that sounds fantastic.

Cargo: More Room Than You Need

The ability to carry lots of cargo is the main selling point of the CX-70 over the CX-90. If you don’t need a third row – and many of us don’t – but you want lots of cargo room, then this is the Mazda for you. There’s no need to fold down a third row, and you never have to worry about it being in the way. There’s 39.6 cubic feet behind the second row with 75.3 cubic feet behind the first row. How that compares to the CX-90 depends on whether you want it configured with seating for two or three in the third row:

The difference is small, but how it’s used is what’s important – you get cargo room without the inconvenience of the third row. There’s also an underfloor storage area that makes it easy to carry stuff you need but might not be grabbing all the time. If your priority is cargo, not people, then the CX-70 is the right pick.

Performance: Plug-In Hybrid Efficiency

The CX-70 is available with either a gas or plug-in hybrid powertrain. The base gas engine is a 3.3-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder with 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. A high-performance version of this engine offers 340 horsepower with 369 lb-ft of torque in ‘S’ badged trims. Our plug-in tester features the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder hybrid with 323 net system horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.

We like plug-in hybrids as a sort of happy medium between gas and electric vehicles. They offer a limited electric-only driving range and let you get used to the idea of plugging-in while still having the gas engine as backup. The CX-70 PHEV has an all-electric range of 26 miles, which is decent for a vehicle this size. If you’re just driving around town, you may not even need to use gas some days. The hybrid engine provided plenty of power to get the CX-70 moving. It accelerated strongly from a complete stop and still delivered plenty of passing power on the highway. It’s responsive with an 8-speed automatic transmission that did a good job of managing the engine’s power. There’s also a tow rating of 3,500 pounds for the PHEV and up to 5,000 pounds for the gas engine.

Driving Impressions: Take The Long Way

Mazda is known for building cars for people who like to drive – they aren’t just appliances to get you from point A to point B. They let you enjoy the trip and maybe even make you want to take the long way. The CX-70 does just that with a smooth, quiet ride that again gives a touch of luxury car. The responsive engine makes it a relaxing experience for the driver with no worries about whether there’s enough power to merge or to pass slower vehicles. It has plenty of oomph and the transmission does a solid job of delivering that power.

This is a large SUV, so it doesn’t handle like a Miata. But for its size, it’s fantastic. It stays controlled during quick highway lane changes without any sloppiness or body roll. The CX-70 is a great highway cruiser, but it’s just as at home on country roads. A spirited drive on twisting New England roads made for a fun Saturday afternoon. You buy a Mazda to enjoy the drive and that’s exactly what you’ll do in the CX-70 – and although there were some glitches on our first drive event, our extended visit with the CX-70 was smooth, and we have nothing to complain about.

Pricing and Verdict: A Premium SUV

The CX-70 lineup has quite a range of pricing and trims, and the 2025 models are actually more expensive than the 2024 CX-90. This weird situation may right itself when the 2025 CX-90 arrives, but we’ll have to wait and see. The CX-70 with the base gas engine is available in three trims, priced from $40,445 to $48,900. The more powerful gas engine is available in just two trims, priced at $52,450 and $55,950 for the Turbo S Premium and Turbo S Premium PLus, respectively.

The plug-in hybrid is available in just two trims, with the Premium at $54,400 and Premium Plus at $57,450, excluding $1,455 for destination.

You can get into the CX-70 for a relatively affordable price, but that $40K starting price does leave plenty of room for competition. The Hyundai Santa Fe, for example, offers gas and hybrid engines with most trims in the lineup coming in under that price point – it is a smaller car by measurements, though, and has a third row. This makes the CX-70 a rather unique proposition in the segment – and it will stand out from anything Hyundai throws at it, and even beats the Kia Sorento, purely on its upscale interior and fantastic drive.

The plug-in hybrid is the most expensive of the lot, but it comes with the added benefit of the $7,500 tax credit whether you lease or buy and the ability to reduce your gas budget by using that electric power. This makes it a little easier on your wallet. Factoring that into the price makes the CX-70, if not a value, at least not as pricey a proposition. If you need room for cargo and three rows of seating, then the CX-90 is the better option. But if you want that cargo room without the third row, then the CX-70 is the one to get.