2024 Mazda CX-90 teased, Australian launch confirmed

UPDATE: 2024 Mazda CX-90 teased again ahead of next month's reveal

Mazda's upcoming CX-90 large SUV has been teased again ahead of its debut next month.

A set of tightly-cropped images posted overnight reveal the tail-light design of the CX-90, with clear familiarity to the smaller CX-60, and confirm a plug-in hybrid will be available.

Mazda USA said the "performance-orientated" PHEV powertrain in the CX-90 has been "tuned specifically for the North American market", suggesting it could be more potent than the CX-60's electrified system.

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In the CX-60, the plug-in hybrid system comprises a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine matched with a 100kW electric motor and a 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery, producing 241kW and 500Nm in total.

It has an electric-only driving range of approximately 60 kilometres.

A 3.3-litre turbocharged inline-six petrol engine is also likely, with the mill producing 209kW and 450Nm in the CX-60. Both engines will be matched with an eight-speed torque converter automatic.

Full details for the 2024 Mazda CX-90 will be revealed next month, so stay tuned to Wheels for the latest.

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The story to here

November 16: 2024 Mazda CX-90 teased

The upcoming 2024 Mazda CX-90 large SUV will debut in January, the brand confirmed today.

In a new teaser, Mazda announced the large-platform, rear-biased SUV will have “wider, longer and more aggressive proportions than any current Mazda,” with the model expected to replace the current, second-generation CX-9 unveiled in 2015.

“Following an initial preview of the First-Ever Mazda CX-90, Mazda Australia is excited to confirm that it will welcome the all-new model to its local range as the second entrant to join the large-platform family,” said Mazda’s local arm.

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The first teaser – an image of its front fender – reveals the CX-90 will be powered by an inline-six engine, likely the 48-volt mild-hybrid 3.3-litre turbo-petrol set to debut on the CX-60.

In the medium SUV, the petrol-six produces 209kW and 450Nm – up 39kW and 30Nm over the current CX-9’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol – with the potential for a power bump in the larger CX-90.

It is likely to offer a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid option, which produces 241kW and 500Nm in the CX-60, with a claimed 60-kilometre electric-only driving range.

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Mazda will also debut a new paint colour, artisan red, with the CX-90. It says the colour has been designed for its large platform vehicles, expanding to include the North American-focused CX-70 and the Europe-bound CX-80 in the coming months.

It says the colour will also feature across its current line-up, such as the CX-5 and CX-8 in a similar fashion to its rhodium white finish, which debuted on the CX-60 earlier this year.

Little else is known about the CX-90 at this stage, but spy photos published by The Fast Lane Car in the US suggest it will look similar to the CX-60, but with a longer, wider body and three rows of seating.

Its smaller brother, the CX-60, will not be offered in North America, with the CX-70 set to become a shorter, five-seat version of the wider CX-90, while the CX-80 will be a longer, seven-seat version of the CX-60 for Europe and Japan.

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Above: 2023 Mazda CX-60

Mazda Australia has not confirmed if it will sell the CX-70 or CX-80, but the local presence of the CX-60 and CX-90 means both are unlikely for Australia.

The brand is expected to continue offering the CX-5 medium SUV and CX-8 large SUV – set to receive a mid-life facelift in March – in Australia, while the larger CX-9 is thought to make way for the CX-90, with a price rise likely to accommodate for its rear-wheel drive underpinnings and newly-developed powertrains.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 will be unveiled in January 2023, with more details on its Australian launch to be announced at its reveal event.