√2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami video review
Mazda’s biggest, most luxurious, most powerful and most expensive SUV flagship is making a play for seven-seat buyers of premium European brands. Is the new Mazda CX-90 really that good? Glenn Butler finds out.
2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami
Say hello to the Mazda CX-90, the successor to the Mazda CX-9 seven-seat large SUV. The new CX-90 is much more than just an evolution of the car it replaces; it is physically larger, has more power, and is more luxurious as Mazda propels its brand upmarket to rival premium European brands.
So it’s got two big questions to answer:
- Does Mazda’s first SUV foray into six-figure price tags have the luxury and refinement buyers will expect?
- And, if so, does that make it a more affordable alternative to rivals from established premium brands?
The Mazda CX-90 comes in three equipment levels – Touring, GT and Azami – each with a choice of 3.3-litre petrol or 3.3-litre diesel powertrains. Prices start at $73,800 plus on-road costs and top out at $93,655 plus on-road costs. A fully equipped CX-90 Azami with the optional Takumi interior pack is more than $110,000 after on-road costs.
Is the new CX-90 worth this much money? To answer that question, we first need to remind ourselves of its real rivals.
The old Mazda CX-9 went up against the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Nissan Pathfinder and Hyundai Palisade, among others.
But this new CX-90 Azami Takumi’s six-figure price pushes it well beyond these former rivals. In fact, it pushes very close to another well-established class, a class where buyers shop for brands like Audi, Land Rover and Volvo.
Another brand recently moved its large SUV upmarket like Mazda, and that’s Jeep with the 2023 Grand Cherokee L. Jeep sacrificed off-road capability for on-road finesse and prestige to get there. So clearly Mazda is not the only brand to see opportunity in the $80–$120K Large SUV market.
How much does the Mazda CX-90 cost in Australia?
The Mazda CX-90 we’re testing here is the range-topping petrol-powered Mazda CX-90 Azami, which is $93,655. On-road costs like compulsory third-party insurance, stamp duty and dealer delivery fees take this beyond $102,000 – and that’s before adding $995 for the Machine Grey paint job and $5000 for the Takumi equipment upgrade, which I’ll go into shortly.
To park our test car in your driveway, you’ll need $110,726 in Melbourne or $108,210 in Sydney.
The Mazda CX-90 is bigger than the CX-9, but not by much. If you’re familiar with the old Mazda CX-9, then the CX-90 is 45mm longer and 25mm wider, but roughly the same height. So, it’s not massive growth.
Mazda has stretched the wheelbase – the distance between the axles – by 190mm, which might help interior comfort and driving dynamics.
The CX-90 Azami is the top grade, so it gets every bell and whistle Mazda can throw at it, including 21-inch black and silver alloy wheels inside body-coloured wheel arches. Like the GT below it, the Azami has adaptive LED headlights that can pivot to light up around corners and shape their beam to penetrate further without dazzling oncoming traffic.
It also gets a panoramic sunroof, loads of chrome, and a whole bunch of interesting detail flourishes that add to that perception of luxury, such as Mazda etching on the side skirts and tail-light illumination tricks.
| Key details | 2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami |
| Price | $93,655 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Machine Grey |
| Options | Takumi pack – $5000 – Pure White nappa leather seat trim – Bright decoration panel – Cloth dashboard panel with Kakenui stitching – White Maple wood console and door trim inserts – Second-row captain’s seats with ventilation – Second-row centre console with storage Premium paint – $995 |
| Price as tested | $99,650 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $110,726 (Melbourne) |
| Rivals | Audi Q7 | Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Land Rover Discovery |
How much space does the Mazda CX-90 have inside?
The Azami tsunami continues inside with a cabin that immediately presents as a step or two above the previous CX-9. In fact, the interior is the most convincing proponent of Mazda’s push upmarket, but, like everything else, it is not without flaws.
Luxury touches like artistically stitched fabric across the dashboard, bleached maple wood panelling, chrome highlights and white nappa leather exude prestige and craftsmanship. Much of this comes as part of the $5000 Takumi options pack that also replaces the middle-row bench seat with two individual and manually adjustable captain’s chairs so Juniors One and Two don’t constantly niggle each other.
All four seats in the first two rows are ventilated and heated, but only the front two are electrically adjustable. The heated steering wheel also has electric adjustability.
The second-row seats have a fixed console in between which has deep-lidded storage, two cupholders and a hidden drawer. This console is very handy but does preclude any walkthrough access to the third row.
The second-row captain’s chairs are very comfortable but do place occupants high up. I had about 6–8cm above my head and I’m only 170cm tall. There are retractable blinds in the back doors to shade occupants.
Getting into the third row is relatively easy. A single latch on the second-row seat’s shoulder slides the base and tilts the backrest to deliver a wide opening. On top of this, the Mazda’s back doors open very wide – close to 90 degrees – to help access.
The third row can accommodate adults if the second row is slid forward. Underseat foot room is adequate, as are leg room and head room. The main weakness is the floor’s height relative to the seatbase, which means occupants don’t have any underthigh support.
The CX-90 Azami has three-zone climate control, meaning both front-seat occupants can set their preferred temperature separately to the back two rows. All three rows have individual air vents to ensure good airflow.
The boot can be opened (and closed) via a button near the numberplate, a button on the key, or by waving your leg under the rear bumper. Cargo volume with all six seats in position is not massive. Mazda claims the CX-90 has 257L of capacity, which is about 10 per cent more than the CX-9 (230L). If you need to use all three rows and want more luggage space than this, look at the Hyundai Palisade instead (309L).
Folding down the third row is done manually and not at the touch of a button, which is disappointing in a car with a six-figure price tag. The second row is also folded manually to provide a long loading space, but it’s not a flat floor and there are gaps for items to fall into.
There is a space-saving spare tyre under the boot floor that will get you out of a jam long enough to get a replacement tyre sorted.
Our test car did not have a tow bar, but if it did it could tow a 2.5-tonne trailer. The less powerful but torquier diesel-powered CX-90 can only tow two tonnes.
| 2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami | |
| Seats | Six (Takumi pack) |
| Boot volume | 257L to third row 608L to second row 2025L to first row |
| Length | 5120mm |
| Width | 1994mm |
| Height | 1745mm |
| Wheelbase | 3120mm |
Does the Mazda CX-90 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The CX-90 Azami’s cabin has dual 12.3-inch digital screens, one for the driver’s instruments display and the second mounted as a central infotainment screen. The graphics are clean and crisp but lack the prestige feel and craftsmanship evident in the rest of the cabin, and on some rivals.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available via USB-C ports and wirelessly, and we experienced no connection dropouts during our seven-day test. The only glitches were a couple of frozen screens, usually during the initial startup phase.
Bizarrely, Mazda has persisted with a central controller rather than touchscreen interaction. Well, the centrally mounted screen is a touchscreen, but touch functionality only works in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (not Mazda’s own screens) and only when the car is in park. On the move, all interaction is exclusively via the rotary controller.
This is presumably a safety initiative, but it means interacting with the system is slower and more distracting as you first rotate the knob and then wait to see where the focus has moved to on the screen.
There are four hardcoded buttons around the rotary knob for sat-nav, media, home and back. Conveniently, the car reprograms these buttons to smartphone apps like Spotify and Waze when you’re mirroring.
One innovative new feature is Mazda’s Personalise system that not only restores the seat, mirrors, sound system and climate-control settings each time you get in, but it will also help you set up what it thinks is the ideal driving position.
The driver enters their height and then the car adjusts the seat, steering wheel and mirrors into what it believes is the optimal position. Then it takes a full scan of your face so it can recognise you next time.
That’s clever too. Except it’s technology for technology’s sake, it’s slow and it’s wrong.
I’m 172cm tall, which these days is 3cm below average for the Aussie male, so not far off. The car then cranks the driver’s seat up high, pushes the steering wheel all the way in, and tilts the mirrors so most of their real estate is taken up by the side of the car. None of that is what driving instructors teach, nor is it what I want and I don’t think I’m Robinson Crusoe here.
The next time I got into the CX-90 it took more than 20 seconds to face-scan and recognise me again and put everything in (the wrong) position. I had left the 12-speaker Bose stereo on a bit loud last time (for testing purposes, of course) and was locked out of turning it down or off or doing anything else while the car searched its memory bank for my face and reinstated all my settings.
A personalised smart key is a more convenient and more elegant solution.
Is the Mazda CX-90 a safe car?
At the time of launch, the new CX-90 had not been tested by ANCAP. Given the vehicle won’t be tested in Europe, Mazda would have to supply a vehicle for testing locally, with no related Euro NCAP data to draw from.
| 2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami | |
| ANCAP rating | Untested |
What safety technology does the Mazda CX-90 have?
As standard, all CX-90 grades feature front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, a vehicle exit warning, autonomous emergency braking with junction assist and pedestrian and cyclist detection, emergency lane keeping and adaptive LED headlights. Further, all grades also get a detailed 360-degree-view monitor, and the top-spec Azami adds a semi-see-through function that displays a tighter view of obstacles near the wheels and offers a wider field of vision.
Mazda’s suite of safety is called i-Activsense and includes: Smart Brake Support Front – Turn Across Traffic, pedestrian and cycle detection; Smart Brake Support Rear – Rear Crossing (Mazda’s terms for front and rear AEB); emergency lane-keep assist, BSM and vehicle exit as mentioned above, enhanced collision safety performance and secondary collision reduction system, radar cruise control and an active bonnet.
Much of this functionality can be adjusted for sensitivity via the infotainment system, and you’ll want to do that because the frequency of beeps and chirps and bells and chimes is infuriating. I know this is all meant to help keep you safe, but some of the noises aren’t accompanied by visual warnings on the dashboard, so knowing what you’ve done to trigger the warning is impossible.
On top of this, all the noises and chimes are very annoying if you’ve got toddlers asleep in the middle row, or a snoozing partner in the front seat.
How much does the Mazda CX-90 cost to maintain?
The new CX-90 is covered by Mazda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with roadside assistance coverage to match. Interestingly, the petrol requires servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, but the diesel cuts that back to a 10,000km interval over 12 months.
Across the three years, the petrol engine costs $1639 to service, while five years is priced at $3360 with the major service coming at 60,000km.
The 2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami Takumi will cost $2799 per annum to comprehensively insure for market value based on a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1639 (3 years) $3360 (5 years) |
Is the Mazda CX-90 fuel-efficient?
Mazda claims that the CX-90 will consume 8.2L/100km of premium unleaded fuel for every 100km travelled. We never managed to achieve this during our seven-day test that covered 700km. The best we saw during an extended weekend drive was 9.2L/100km, which isn’t that far off. Our overall average came in at 9.8L/100km, which included about 550km of highway driving and 150km of urban driving.
The need to feed the car on 95-octane petrol means it is about 10 per cent more expensive to fuel than a 91-octane equivalent.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Usage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.2L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.8L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 74L |
What is the Mazda CX-90 like to drive?
The CX-90 features a new engine for Mazda, a 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder turbo petrol engine that requires more expensive 95-octane petrol to produce 254kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
That’s a big step up from the CX-9’s old four-cylinder engine that made only 170kW and 420Nm, and it feels like it. It’s also a step up on the less powerful 209kW/450Nm version of the same engine in the smaller CX-60. Add to that the fact we’ve got an eight-speed automatic transmission to play with and straight-line performance is transformed even though the CX-90 Azami Takumi is 230kg heavier than the heaviest CX-9.
The engine has the herbs to deal with pretty much everything drivers will face, and it does so in a generally subtle and refined way, only becoming noisy when pushed to overtake.
Mazda’s new eight-speed transmission changes gears with exceptional smoothness, but we did notice some stuttering at low speeds, and sometimes delayed reactions when moving off from a standstill.
The CX-90’s suspension has been tuned to deliver a generally smooth ride, but it does feel overly taut on rougher roads – both at highway speeds and urban speeds. It is particularly harsh during that initial compression phase most often experienced at speed humps.
One area where Mazda has definitely stepped up is in cabin quietness. Mazda’s insulation work ensures that neither wind noise nor tyre noise penetrates the ambience within, and the engine only snarls through when pushed hard for highway overtaking.
Mazda’s decision to fit cameras on all sides makes manoeuvring in car parks or around obstacles easy, as does the CX-90’s light low-speed steering that in turn weights up nicely as the vehicle speed increases.
One thing I did notice is the CX-90’s more involved active safety system, which uses the vehicle’s cruise-control radars to sense vehicles in front and pare back engine performance if it deems you’re driving too close to the car in front. I found this disconcerting at times, usually when building speed to overtake. It also reduces your ability to park close to objects in front in car parks.
| Key details | 2023 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami |
| Engine | 3.3-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol, 48-volt mild-hybrid |
| Power | 254kW @ 5000–6000rpm petrol |
| Torque | 500Nm @ 2000–4500rpm |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 8-speed multi-clutch automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 114.4kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2220kg |
| Spare tyre type | Temporary |
| Tow rating | 2500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 10.8m |
Should I buy a Mazda CX-90?
Mazda has repositioned its premium seven-seater into a market segment that’s nowhere near as crowded as the one it left behind. That could be a good thing if buyers are willing to follow Mazda upmarket. And if buyers can equate a $110,000 purchase with a Mazda badge.
Those are unknowns for now. Only time will tell.
What we do know is the Mazda CX-90 is a very good prestige vehicle, but it has flaws.
In terms of practicality, it has the space and flexibility buyers desire, but that flexibility requires old-fashioned muscle that degrades the prestige experience. The CX-90 is also brimming with technology, but the implementation needs work and the usefulness of some ‘innovations’ is questionable.
In terms of driving performance, the CX-90 Azami is a very quiet, comfortable and refined machine with an overly firm and reactive ride. The powertrain has the power to devour miles effortlessly, but stutters at low speeds and is noisy when pushed for overtaking.
The CX-90 Azami has all the passive and active safety a car of this price needs, but it’s sometimes confusing to know which system is barking at you, and there are a lot of barks.
Ultimately, the Mazda CX-90 is a mostly convincing premium makeover of the Mazda CX-9 that it replaces. None of its flaws overly compromise the car’s fundamental purpose, but a little more polishing would make this a true (and more affordable) alternative to pricier prestige Europeans like the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7.
How do I buy a Mazda CX-90?
I’ve tested the Mazda CX-90 Azami for this review, and while it is loaded with luxury features, the $73,800 GT variant has everything a pragmatic buyer needs. The mid-spec GT variant adds some luxury touches like 12.3-inch digital displays, adaptive LED headlights and 12-speaker Bose sound system, which in turn makes the step up to the range-topping Azami very much a hedonistic decision.
Stock shortages continue to be an issue for many brands at the time of writing, but Mazda assures us that stock levels of the CX-90 are healthy. “We have good stock of all three variants across our network, so at this point dealers can accommodate orders placed. Australia is a key market for Mazda Corporation and thus enjoys preferential stock allocation from the factory.”
Anyone wanting the optional Takumi or SP packs will need to wait for their vehicle to be built and sent from the factory, but Mazda says it has recently streamlined this process.
Our source says Mazda has recently implemented a new supply strategy where vehicles are sent from the wharf to dealers for pre-delivery preparation, which apparently shaves 1–2 weeks off delivery times for any vehicles coming from the factory.
The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Mazda website for stock of your preferred CX-90 variant. You can also find Mazdas for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.
We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Mazda dealer via this link.
If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.
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