Mazda’s biggest car is also its most expensive, the first car that breaches the P3,000,000 mark in the Mazda lineup. When we shot our walkaround, we didn’t know the price, and it was only after we got home and watched the launch that we could see just how premium the CX-90 was priced.
There was a bit of sticker shock at first, but when we remembered just how nice the CX-90 was, and just how premium all the trimmings were, we said that its price point above three million Philippine Pesos would be a barrier to entry given how Mazda has been so far but even just with a walkaround with the car, every minute we spent with the car got us even more interested and invested in it.
Front-end Design
Walking around the car, it’s easy to fall in love with Mazda’s design. You’re looking at an exploded CX-60 with extra seats, but there is more than meets the eye with this one. The front of it all has a similar face to the 60, broad and rather flat compared to the other Mazdas in the lineup, it exudes a classy look. Between the 60 and the 90, however, you may be hard-pressed to tell the two apart.
Engine
With 284 hp and 450 Nm of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic and paired with a 48V mild hybrid system, we’re really excited to get this car out on the road. However, given the size of it all, we need to temper our expectations. The impression is that it will drive similarly to the CX-60 since it has the same engine as the gasoline variant. There are six cylinders on here so we expect things to be very smooth throughout the RPM range, and throughout our drives.
Now, whether or not it will be excluded from the number coding scheme is up for debate, but at the time of writing and reviewing this car on a first-impression basis, yeah, it’s still considered a normal car.
On its side…
The dimensions are rather similar to the CX-9, but the CX-90 looks a bit bigger and a touch puffier. The hood is elongated, and the wheelbase has grown by about seven inches compared to the CX-9. Gorgeous wheels dominate the side and you get 21 inches to just look at all day. The tires are rather thin, however, which may draw ire from potholes and more.
While the chassis is longer, the overall dimension is still the same if not a little smaller than the CX-9 by a few millimeters. The hood is rather long as well which brings it in line with the architecture of the CX-60. Even if it is a bigger car, the car is actually quite sporty when viewed on its side.
Rear design, rear cargo
There is a lot more space here on the CX-90. It’s not amazing, but it is better than the CX-60. It’s still quite good, however, it may be a bit tight compared to other competing crossovers at the same price point. It’s not bad by any means.
The rear design may speak differently to different people, whereas Jack feels like the car looks more European, while Caco thinks that it looks more Japanese. While the two go back and forth, the fact that there are no faux exhaust tips is great.
Interior space for the under-tall
Mazda stated that the space in the back is good for five-footers, in other words, average Filipinos. Jack isn’t exactly average size, so for some, space will be more standard compared to Caco’s description of “business class.” The reason why it’s business class is because of the captains’ chairs that Mazda managed to put in this vehicle. Shared opulence is the phrase here, a trait that is shared between the CX-90 and the CX-9.
However, while the rear is quite nice, the front is really where it is at for the CX-90. The front is very engaging for the driver, but if you want to kick back and relax and let someone else drive for you, you gotta try out the rear. It’s also details like the angle of the rear doors that tell you that Mazda is paying attention to the passengers in this particular model. The CX-90 has some of the widest opening doors that we’ve seen in a car, making ingress and egress a breeze. On top of that, these doors are frameless so the whole thing swings out and allows you to get in without getting your foot stuck on something on the way in.
The front is amazing
Driver-oriented cockpits are still the specialty of Mazda, but this one is a bit more special. Premium touches all around plus a lot of large infotainment and information displays. The infotainment display is large at 12.3 inches, and it features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus a wireless charger. The driving info display is also quite bright and large and it’s supplemented by a heads-up display that helps you keep your eyes on the road. Another premium add-on is the Bose sound system which has 12 speakers and it sounds real awesome to our ears.
When you step inside the vehicle, you will find that it can also adjust to you. There is also a driver profile system that will save your preferences like what features you want like auto-start-stop, and more.
Initial Impression: Splendid!
Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take this thing out of the compound. In fact, the only time we got to feel the car handle in the video was way after it was taken, during our first drive with it to Baguio.
There, we found that the engine was very similar to the CX-60, but the handling felt quite sharp and well-matched to the chassis. While Caco didn’t get a chance to really wring this car out on a drive, he’s definitely excited to try it out for himself on an official Behind the Wheel review.
Given our first impressions and how much thought Mazda put into making a car like this, the starting price of P3,680,000 seems to be more worth it than we initially thought. The sticker shock may be present, still, but getting in touch with the car and feeling it out is really something else. After our initial impressions of the car, we thought that it would be something really worth considering.
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