Mazda is preparing significant upgrades for the CX-70 and CX-90 as sales of the automaker’s Large Architecture SUVs fall below expectations. Company executives say the upcoming mid-cycle refresh will go far beyond minor changes, with planned improvements to the exterior, interior and powertrains.
Upgrades Planned on an Unprecedented Scale
Though Mazda’s large SUVs have only been on the market for a few years, the company is planning an extensive mid-cycle refresh. Sales of the CX-70 and CX-90, along with their counterparts sold in other markets, have been below expectations.
A report from Japan illustrates the scale of the challenge. Chugoku Shimbun reported that Mazda expected to sell 200,000 vehicles annually using its new Large Architecture platform. Last year, however, the company sold just 150,637.
Sales have also been falling rapidly in the United States, prompting Mazda to pursue substantial changes.
“We will be working on the exterior, interior, and powertrain, and will be upgrading them on a scale never seen before,” Mazda President Masahiro Moro told Chugoku Shimbun. “We will cultivate these into products that people will say are Mazda’s flagship. It will take time, but we will definitely achieve this.”
Mazda Executives Acknowledge Large Platform Challenges
Mazda CFO Jeffrey Guyton made similar comments about the vehicles during the company’s earnings call last month. He said that “that situation is not acceptable to us, and we need to grow our Large Platform business,” adding that Mazda is planning “a number of product enhancements.”
The latest sales figures underscore the challenge. At the end of July, Mazda reported that the two-row CX-70 had sold just 7,161 units for the year, down 28% from the previous year.
The three-row CX-90 recorded 26,102 sales, a decline of 25%. That left the CX-90 only slightly ahead of the Mazda3 sedan, while the deliberately limited CX-30 was running neck and neck.
Powertrain and Technology Changes Are Also Coming
Mazda’s Large Architecture introduced new engines and powertrains, including inline-six engines and a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid variant. However, the SUVs have also received criticism for ride quality and a dated infotainment system.
Mazda has already confirmed plans to add its Skyactiv-Z compression ignition engines to the platform between 2028 and 2030. The automaker is also considering a conventional hybrid system, although it remains unclear whether it would replace or supplement the existing 48V mild-hybrid and PHEV systems.
Why the CX-70 and CX-90 Matter to Mazda
Mazda developed the CX-70 and CX-90 specifically for America. The SUVs are wider and longer than anything else in the company’s lineup and use engines and transmissions that will not be used elsewhere in the range.
If the CX-70 and CX-90 fail, along with the Euro-focused CX-60 and CX-80, the investment could represent a significant cost for Mazda and potentially affect its broader vehicle lineup, including the MX-5.
Mazda is expected to provide more details about its plans for its large SUVs later this year or, at the latest, in early 2027.
