2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

A lot of ride for the money

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

Over the past couple of years, Mazda has been revamping their SUV model line, replacing sleek car-like models such as the CX-9 with boxy replacements like the 2024 CX-90. In keeping with this trend, Mazda recently introduced the 2025 CX-70, which bridges the gap between the compact CX-50 and the full-size CX-90. While the CX-70 looks virtually identical to the CX-90, the 2025 CX-50 offers seating for 5 rather than 8. So if your travel requirements do not call for bussing small athletic teams to events, you will be happier with the less congested interior layout of the CX-70.

You can order a variety of power trains for the CX-70, including a pair of turbocharged 6 cylinder inline motors (280hp or 340hp). Mazda also offers a plug-in (PHEV) option that combines a 189hp inline 4-cylinder gas engine with a 173hp AC motor to produce a combined output of 323hp. The PHEV mounts a plug receptacle on the right rear flank of the vehicle, and a full charge of the 14.8 kWh battery pack permits 25 miles of EV-only travel before the gas motor kicks in. The total range of the PHEV combo is estimated at 490 miles by the EPA. If you charge your Mazda at home through a Level 1/ 120v outlet, it will take about 11 hours to regain full charge from a depleted battery. A Level 2 home charger will reduce your downtime to just 2.5 hours. The CX-70 PHEV battery is covered by a 96-month/100,000 mile warranty, with a 10 year/150,000 mile plan available in certain states.

The PHEV is a lively performer, with excellent straight-line grunt available: 0-60mph comes up in just 5.6 seconds, while the quarter mile rips past in 14.3 seconds, on the way to a top speed approaching 125mph. Thanks to the electronic boost of the PHEV plumbing, the engine produces a whopping 369 lb.-ft. of torque, which in turn promotes a tow capacity of 3,500 pounds for the plug-in hybrid. The engines drives all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. This unit presented us with some challenges. For starters, we disliked the notchy shift pattern, which lines up all gear settings (Neutral/Reverse/Drive) save Park in a straight line. To access Park you must push the lever forward and then slide it left - an awkward, time-consuming, and unnecessary requirement. And it doesn't help that the lever sometimes balks and refuses to slide into and out of Park.

You will not be confusing the back road behavior of the CX-70 with Mazda's prior long-nosed, short-cab SUVs, which had their way with twisty roads. At more than 5,000 pounds, the CX-70 feels ponderous and clumsy, which are not descriptors that generally appear in conjunction with the word Mazda. At each corner sits a substantial chunk of rubber: Falken Ziex CT60R A/S radials measuring 275/45R21 and carrying a wear rating of TW 300 that will have you tire shopping in short order. These Falkens are mounted on rather delicate looking black alloy rims enlivened by sparkling machine cut spokes. In fact, the CX-70 we tested was a spectacularly handsome machine thanks in large measure to its "Melting Copper Metallic" exterior color which added a worth-every-penny $480 to the Mazda's bottom line of $59,275. Inside the beautifully appointed interior, the copper motif continues, with color-coded bronze stitching across the dash and doors, and subtly embedded copper stripes gracing the front seat cushions.

The selling point of the two-row CX-70 versus the three-row CX-90 is the abundance of interior space (75 cubic feet) you can generate by dropping flat the rear seats. Mazda makes this task blessedly easy by providing a pair of electric switches located just inside the hands-free power rear liftgate. Once we dropped the seats we were able to transport a full size mountain bike inside and virtually out-of-sight thanks to second-row window sunshades. The flat, rug-covered interior cargo surface proved perfect for slipping the bike in and out without damaging any of the Mazda's beautifully crafted surfaces. It also left plenty of storage room for paraphernalia in the floor space between the front and second-row seats.

Mazda provides a series of selections for drive mode choice. The "Sport" mode seemed rather optimistic, given the weight and size of this SUV. So we retreated to leaving the mode selection dial in "Normal." But even in this setting, the CX-70 tends to magnify bumps and imperfections in the road surface. Note however, that Mazda thoughtfully provides a "Tow" setting drive mode that will undoubtedly reduce driver angst when pulling a trailer. For less than sixty grand, the PHEV CX-70 is a lot of ride for the money, despite its few minor shortcomings.

2025 MAZDA CX-70 PHEV PREMIUM PLUS

ENGINE: 2.5 liter inline-4, DOHC, 16-valve plus AC Motor
HORSEPOWER: 323hp (Combined)
TORQUE: 369lb.-ft. (Combined)
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 25MPG (Gas Only)/56MPGe (Electricity + Gas)
PRICE AS TESTED: $59,275

HYPES: Majestic Shape and Color

GRIPES: Balky Gearbox

STAR RATING: 8.5 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman