Mazda Deletes CX-90’s Third Row, Calls It The “New” 2025 CX-70

A few years ago, Mazda announced to the world its newfound premium direction, and this has culminated with the launch of its Large Product Group. Vehicles in this platform come with a rear-wheel drive (RWD) layout or at least a layout with a rear-biased all-wheel drive (AWD) and a family of straight-six engines. The BMW-aping recipe turned out well as we got introduced to the CX-60 and CX-90, but with the new 2025 Mazda CX-70–the third member of this range of SUVs, it seems that Mazda is on a tight budget with the CX-70’s development.

For starters, the CX-70 is no more than a CX-90 with a third-row delete and sportier exterior trimmings. Not even an entirely different design or body structure, but the same car with a different (sportier) front bumper and blacked-out trimmings. There’s not much to talk about here since everything else that’s different externally in the CX-70 is limited to the choice of two 21-inch wheels, depending on the variant, and nothing much else.

Unfortunately, that’s also the same case with the interior, because, well, it’s literally the CX-90’s interior, but with bolder color choices to highlight its supposed sportier orientation. For instance, the CX-90 can be upholstered in a luscious brown Nappa Leather and Ultrasuede, but the CX-70 can be upholstered in red Nappa Leather. Granted, the interior is premium and luxurious as you’d expect in a Mazda, but considering the one-year gap between the CX-70 and CX-90, it’s unsurprising that people expected a lot more from the CX-70.

Want evidence that the CX-70 is merely a CX-90 with a third-row delete? Just take a look at the press photos of its cargo area. Even the panels containing the air conditioning vents and cupholders have been retained. But since there’s no third row to speak of, the folding mechanism that would otherwise take up space has been converted into a partitioned underfloor storage. This is complemented by a host of tie-down hooks and places to hang your bags, along with remote second row releases.

Unsurprisingly, the 2025 Mazda CX-70 shares the same drivetrain as the CX-90. The power outputs have not yet been revealed, but considering that it’s just a CX-90 with no third row, the 3.3-liter turbocharged straight-six with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system will most likely produce 340 horses or 280 horsepower, while the 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid drivetrain will most likely produce 323 horses and a 26-mile EPA-estimated pure electric range. A Mazda-developed eight-speed automatic with a multi-plate clutch comes as standard, and this is where the electric motor for the mild hybrid and the PHEV versions are located.

The 2025 Mazda CX-70 is most likely going to be limited to the North American market, following the footsteps that Honda has done with the Pilot and Passport. However, unlike Mazda, the Passport is dimensionally shorter and comes with a nimbler driving experience as well as a different rear fascia to match its smaller dimensions.