Mazda had a plan to launch the CX-70 before the end of this year but it changed its mind and decided to release the family hauler at some point next year. In October, the company hinted the SUV’s engine range might mirror that of the CX-90, and now we have stronger evidence that this would indeed be the case.
Filings with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), first unearthed by AutoGuide, reveal the CX-70 will be offered with the same powertrains as its larger brother. This move makes a lot of sense considering the CX-70 will ride on the same platform that underpins the CX-90. The main difference between the two will be the number of seats – whereas the CX-90 has seven of them, the CX-70 will have a two-row cabin layout.
So, what are those engines the leaked documents seem to confirm? The seven-seat SUV is sold with a 3.3-liter electrified inline-six engine generating 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. There’s also a 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid engine with 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of twist. All-wheel drive is standard for both engines and the CARB documents suggest the same will also apply to the CX-70.
One popular piece of information claims the CX-70 will be shorter than the CX-90 but most likely, that won’t be true. Mazda published an official document in February this year to complement the FY March 2023 Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing where it said the CX-70 will be a “two-row model with the same body [as the CX-90].” The document can be accessed on the automaker’s website.
Mazda has yet to confirm the launch date of the CX-70 in the United States. The model is expected to become an integral part of the brand’s lineup as it aims to deliver around 500,000 vehicles in the country by the middle of the decade. For 2023, the plan is for 350,000 cars to be sold in the US.
