This is going to be a big year for Mazda. It starts with CX-90 2024 just revealed. But speaking to Mazda North America President and CEO Jeff Guyton, that’s just the first big development. He told us that the upcoming CX-70 will also be launched this year. The CX-70 will be built on the same platform as the CX-90, which means it will be rear-wheel drive and have a Dip into the mixture Lightweight inline four and six cylinders are offered. But it will be smaller, with two rows of seats.
We asked Guyton why Mazda decided to introduce its new engine and chassis platform to the US with the larger three-row CX-90, as it started with CX-60 is smaller overseas (two more rows of seats, but different from our upcoming CX-70). A key factor, he says, is the need to address the growing competition in the three-row segment and the potential weaknesses of the car. CX-9 it replaces. Specifically, they found the CX-9 to be inferior in terms of power, interior space and drag. On our first glance, all of this appeared to have worked out, though until we drove it we couldn’t say exactly how it held up the other three rows.
The other part is that the CX-70 will be in a segment where Mazda has not really competed much. Guyton notes that about the closest thing would be CX-7, was discontinued over a decade ago. But he feels that even that is not the same type of car or segment. We’re certainly curious to see how the CX-70 came to be and whether it will essentially just be a shorter CX-90 or maybe something a little more unique.
Of course, we also have to ask about what other Mazda plug-in hybrids have revealed: MX-30 R-EV. So far, a representative of Mazda said that this model will be sold this year. Guyton isn’t really committed to any of the US plans, and he specifically notes that the MX-30 R-EV will be preferred for Europe and Japan. He gave several reasons for this. First, he noted that they faced production constraints, so they could only craft so much. Furthermore, he said the MX-30 R-EV is a more meaningful product for those regions, and he proved it with sales in Europe of MX-30 is all-electric. Apparently Europe bought more than 15,000 units. It’s a stark contrast with under 600 sold in the U.S. So it makes sense to send any MX-30 R-EVs that can be built to the regions most likely to buy them.
Now, Guyton didn’t say that the R-EV will not here, but his comments make it seem like the future of the little PHEV in the US is uncertain. And a regular electric is back for another model year in the United States. We’ll have to wait and see.
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