Mazda further raises their bar of excellence with the debut of the all-new CX-90. It’s the bigger and bolder brother of the CX-9 with small changes in many areas that add up to a more pleasant driving and riding experience. With a starting price of PHP 3,680,000, the Mazda CX-90 is clearly looking at those who want more luxury in their car without compromising driving dynamics.
“The first-ever Mazda CX-90 is the pinnacle of Mazda Premium. It is our most advanced model ever with exceptional levels of sophistication all throughout that can be enjoyed not just by the driver, but by the whole family,” says Steven Tan, President and CEO of Mazda Philippines.
The CX-9 is already a sleek beast but Mazda’s designers still found ways to make it better. They gave the CX-90 a larger greenhouse, flattened the front face, and shortened the front overhang while also increasing the rear overhang. They then increased the wheelbase and moved the center of gravity rearward, creating a longer hood. This all resulted in a brighter and more spacious cabin, while the cargo area received an additional 192L of space for the 8-seater variant and +220L of space for the 6-seater (compared to the CX-9) – and that is with the third row seats up.
At first glance the CX-90 looks like an identical twin of the recently launched CX-60. Of course the CX-90 is bigger but there’s also small details that differentiate the two. The wheels are slightly bigger at 21-inches with a different design, there are chrome accents on the lower part of the front and rear bumper, and the CX-90 has a flat silver accent on the side skirt with a subtle Mazda stamp.
In terms of amenities, both will have power folding and auto-dimming side mirrors with memory, panoramic sunroof, all LED lighting system, and a powered tailgate with handsfree function and height adjust memory.
Mazda also introduces a new color with the CX-90 called Artisan Red Premium made with their proprietary Takuminuri technology. Its color is like a matured Soul Red Crystal, much like a fine wine especially under sunlight.
Under the long hood of the CX-90 is the 3.3L e-SkyActiv-G inline-6 that’s paired with a 48v electric motor. No diesel option this time around. The total system output is at 284PS and 450 Nm of torque. Mazda has flanked the small electric motor between the engine and transmission so that it can propel the car independently. This means the CX-90 can run in pure electric mode when it has enough charge.
An 8-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels via the Rear Biased i-ACTIV All-Wheel Drive. It has a 10-front/90-rear default bias that gives the CX-90 a rear-wheel drive feel and 50/50 weight distribution. This is further aided by the Kinematic Posture Control that gives stability when cornering by braking the inner wheels resulting in less body roll. There’s also Mi-DRIVE modes that adjusts the engine, brakes, transmission, and drivetrain to suit your current driving condition.
Moving into the cabin, Nappa Leather is standard across the two variants but the CX-90 Exclusive trim has additional Leganu suede to go along with it. Most of their amenities are the same like the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 10.4-inch heads-up display, 12.3-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charger, triple zone automatic climate control, 12-speaker Bose Sound System, even the ventilated front seats.
The main difference lies in the seating capacity at the back. There’s a 60/40 split for the second and third rows that can seat three people each for the entry variant, while the Exclusive trim enjoys 2 Captain Seats with Ventilation in the second row, and a more spacious 2-people seating for the third row. Both variants will come with 10-way power seats and the driver getting a memory function for the first row.
Mazda also took adjustment to another level by using facial recognition. The CX-90 will read the face of the driver and once recognized, it will adjust the driving position to the setting you last used including the steering wheel position, heads-up display, and side mirrors. It will even restore up to 250 functions to the one you last used including other vehicle settings, volume, and aircon settings.
Both trims of the CX-90 also have the same safety features. Standard are 7 airbags, 360-view monitor, Hill Descent Control, Dynamic Stability Control, and sensors front and back. It also has Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE advanced safety suite that includes radar cruise control, smart brake support, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert, and lane keeping system among others.
The all-new Mazda CX-90 will be available in two trims. The CX-90 HEV Turbo will retail for PHP 3,680,000 while the HEV Turbo Exclusive will be at PHP 3,780,000. Aside from Artisan Red Premium, you can have it in Rhodium White Premium, Machine Gray, Platinum Quartz, Sonic Silver, Deep Crystal Blue, and Jet Black. It will come with Mazda Philippines’ 5-year Free Service Plan.