2025 Mazda CX-70 G50e GT review

Mazda has gone on a large SUV offensive over the last two years or so, with four distinct new models in its line-up that cater to almost every need.

The Mazda CX-70 is arguably the most interesting, and the most puzzling. Make no mistake, it’s a big SUV, as big as the flagship CX-90, but with one key difference. It only has seating for five. The CX-90 has seven.

Mazda says the CX-70 exists because there are buyers out there who like the size of the CX-90 but don’t need the seven seats it offers. For them, the CX-70 fills that void.

But with the Japanese brand also offering the five-seat CX-60 and seven-seat CX-80 in its line-up, the question remains: why the CX-70?

Just two variants, GT and Azami, each with a choice of either diesel or petrol engines, comprise the CX-70 range.

Pricing starts from $77,215 for the entry-level petrol-powered GT and tops out at $87,909 for the diesel-powered CX-70 Azami.

On test here, we have the most affordable CX-70 in the line-up, the GT petrol. It’s powered by Mazda’s mild-hybrid 3.3-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder making 254kW and 500Nm. An eight-speed multi-clutch automatic sends drive to all four wheels.

Standard equipment highlights include 21-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, black exterior trim, dual 12.3-inch interior screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, heated leather seats, and a full suite of advanced safety technology.

You don’t have to look far to find CX-70 rivals. Looking within the Mazda stable, the CX-90 range gets underway at $69,795 before on-road costs. That’s for the entry-level CX-90 Touring, which has two more seats and yet is $7420 more affordable than its five-seat counterpart.

But, comparing like-for-like in terms of included equipment, the CX-90 GT starts from $78,795, around $1580 more than its CX-70 counterpart.

Further afield, the cohort of large five-seat SUVs is a small one, with most manufacturers preferring the practicality and buyer appeal of seven seats. The Volkswagen Touareg starts from $89,490, while the Lexus RX range gets underway at $93,285 – both before on-road costs.

Find your nearest Mazda dealer here to check out the CX-70 in the metal.

Mazda’s play for the premium end of the mainstream market is writ large inside the CX-70. Design and execution are top-notch, with quality materials and sleek design flourishes throughout.

The liberal use of black leather on the seats and other touchpoints threatens to overwhelm the cabin in darkness. But it’s saved by the panoramic glass roof that lets in plenty of natural light, as well as tan-coloured contrast stitching on the seats and door handles with matching tan piping on the dashboard, all of which helps to break up the sea of black.

The cabin is well laid out and generously proportioned, as you’d expect of a seven-seater with the third row deleted.

The CX-70’s external dimensions underscore Mazda’s large SUV positioning. Stopping the tape at 5120mm long, 2157mm wide (with mirrors open), 1745mm tall and on a wheelbase of 3120mm, the CX-70 is unapologetically large.

That’s keenly felt in the cabin where space is plentiful, the end result a relaxed vibe for occupants who aren’t sitting on top of each other, and most keenly felt in the front row where the wide centre console offers plenty of breathing space for front-seat occupants.

The front seats are power-adjustable (10-way for the driver and eight-way passenger, along with two-way lumbar support) and are fitted with heating, while the outboard pews in the second row also feature seat heating.

Mazda has stuck to its guns with tactile dials, buttons and switches for the CX-70’s climate controls, which is something we applaud in this day and age of screen-mania.

Storage amenities aren’t as generous as the CX-70’s dimensions suggest. Yes, there’s a wide central storage bin with a softly padded bi-fold lid, but it’s on the shallow side. The door cards can take bottles, but again, they are not as generously sized as one might expect.

There are the obligatory cupholders, as well as a wireless smartphone charging pad ahead of the leather-wrapped gear shifter, while the leather-cased steering wheel features the usual array of switches for toggling through screens, audio controls, and driver functions.

The second row offers plenty of comfort for back-seat occupants, with space to spare in all key areas – foot, knee, leg, and head. The seats can slide forwards or backwards, while the seatbacks recline for extra lounge-like comfort.

Second-row passengers score their own climate controls and air vents as well as sunshades on the side windows, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, and two USB Type-C plugs. The outboard seats are heated too.

ISOFIX child seat mounts are fitted to the outboard seats and complemented by three top-tether anchors on the seatbacks.

Where the CX-70’s dimensions come to the fore is in the cargo area. The boot is, in short, cavernous. Underneath the powered tailgate, Mazda quotes 598 litres to the top of the seatbacks (or 923L to the roof) with the second row in use, expanding to 2015L (to the roof) with the second row stowed away in 60:40-split fashion.

There’s additional storage under the boot floor that also houses a space-saver spare wheel.

Amenities in the boot include the usual assortment of tie-down points and bag hooks, while an LED light provides illumination.

A 12.3-inch slimline infotainment screen hosts the CX-70’s infotainment system, with wireless (and wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth streaming, the full gamut of radio bandwidths (AM/FM/DAB+) and native satellite navigation.

Using the infotainment system is a mixed bag in terms of the experience. Scrolling through Mazda’s native set-up requires inputs from the rotary dialler in the centre console, along with a number of shortcut buttons. It’s all intuitive enough, although it can feel a little distracting when on the move scrolling through various menu items.

The infotainment screen gains full touch functionality when using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, although the positioning of the screen itself, set deep into the top of the dashboard, requires stretching and reaching to effect inputs. I reverted to using the rotary dial with CarPlay, as I found that less distracting than leaning forward to reach the screen.

Mazda’s Connected Services brings a range of functionality via a smartphone app including vehicle tracking, remote locking, and a curfew notification that alerts owners when the vehicle is being driven over a predetermined speed or at a time of day or night outside of the set parameters.

Connected Services are included for the first three years of ownership, with an annual subscription required after that initial period. Mazda has not disclosed the cost of annual subscriptions.

The Mazda CX-70 (and its seven-seat twin CX-90) has not been assessed by Australia’s independent safety body ANCAP, and as such remains unrated.

The Mazda CX-70 is brimming with the latest safety and advanced driver assist systems. But this GT grade misses out on one key technology – lane-centring assist – which is only available on the higher Azami grade. Frankly, that’s a misstep from the Japanese brand, with lane-centring assist a common technology featured in cars and SUVs costing a fifth of the price of the CX-70.

Mazda’s safety tech works well for the most part, with no overly eager warnings during our time with the CX-70. The adaptive cruise control did a decent job of maintaining set speed limits and distance to the cars in front, while lane-keeping assist remained nicely calibrated. Straying too close to the lane markings resulted in gentle alerts, and not the insistent tugging on the steering wheel some systems are prone to.

Similarly, the driver attention monitor showed restraint before sounding the alert that my attention had lingered too long on the infotainment screen or rear-view mirror. Not every system can make such a claim.

And pleasingly, Mazda has facilitated the ability to switch off audible warnings for the speed limit assist and keep them off, even when starting the car again. Instead, the default is a flashing alert in the driver's display when you do inadvertently creep over the signposted limit.

The airbag count runs to eight across both rows of occupants, including a front-centre airbag that minimises head clashes between the driver and passenger in the event of an accident.

The Mazda CX-70 is covered by the brand’s standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is par for the new car landscape in 2025.

Servicing intervals for petrol models are spaced at 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Diesel CX-70s require more frequent visits to the workshop with intervals spaced at 12 months or 10,000km.

Mazda estimates that three years or 45,000km of scheduled maintenance will cost $1715, while extending that to five years or 75,000km sees that balloon to $3527. That compares favourably to the Volkswagen Touareg, which in its most affordable diesel-powered form wants $4323 over five years and 75,000km of scheduled maintenance.

An annual comprehensive insurance premium for the Mazda CX-70 GT petrol runs to $2322, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW.

The same details for a Volkswagen Touareg 170TDI came to a more expensive $2542 annually, while a Lexus RX350h 2WD comes to a whopping $3295. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Mazda claims the CX-70 GT’s 3.3-litre inline-six petrol will use 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined driving cycle based on Australian laboratory testing.

Out in the real world, my week with the big SUV saw an indicated 9.8L/100km over a good mix of daily commuting in traffic and extended highway runs.

The CX-70 requires 95-octane premium unleaded as a minimum, while its fuel tank measures in at 74 litres.

A big SUV needs a muscular engine, and the 3.3-litre turbocharged inline six found under the bonnet of the CX-70 fits the bill.

Outputs of 254kW and 500Nm are generous and contribute to the – mostly – effortless nature of the CX-70’s driving experience.

The caveat here is the eight-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission that can prove a little temperamental at times, with minor moments of hesitation from standstill and on-the-move gearshifts that lack the crispness of dual-clutch transmissions, especially at slower city speeds where the CX-70 – and its eight-speed MCT – can feel clunky and cumbersome in traffic.

The CX-70 does its best work out on the highway, its lusty inline six an amiable companion on longer runs. Smooth power delivery and a quiet demeanour at cruising speeds, married to effortless acceleration when needed, are the hallmarks of a comfortable long-distance tourer.

And it’s out here where the eight-speed multi-clutch does its best work. Freed from the shackles of stop-start traffic, Mazda’s multi-clutch offers smooth shifts, and remains responsive to downshifts when a burst of acceleration is need for an overtake, say.

The 48V mild-hybrid system that underpins the CX-70’s idle stop/start system can, according to Mazda, provide just a little boost in performance under full-throttle loads, not so much that you notice, however.

It can also shut down the engine during certain driving conditions, letting the CX-70 coast during downhill stretches or coasting to a stop at traffic lights. But it’s not the most sophisticated system, especially when in coasting mode, and specifically when accelerating, taking too long to fire up the engine again for that needed burst of power.

Ride comfort is a two-parter. When the roads are smooth and devoid of too many ripples, holes, lumps and bumps, the CX-70 retains a pleasant on-road demeanour: quiet, refined and comfortable.

But things unravel pretty quickly as soon as the road surface begins to show signs of neglect, the CX-70 fidgety, brittle and hard-edged.

The brakes too require some getting used to, with numb pedal feel that requires a firmer push than one might expect before the big SUV starts to wash off speed in a meaningful way.

Its steering remains nice and direct, with decent weighting that imbues confidence when cornering, but can feel burdensome when executing three-point turns or parking into tight spaces.

And there’s no hiding the CX-70’s sheer size, which some buyers will see as a benefit while initially intimidating others. You do, however, adapt quickly to its size and, while not exactly feeling like a CX-5, Mazda’s largest SUV begins to shrink around you.

Mazda claims a braked towing capacity of 2500kg and 750kg unbraked for the petrol and diesel variants of the CX-70.

The limiting factor here is the CX-70’s 150kg towball downweight, which is less than 10 per cent of the maximum of the trailer’s mass, and something to consider for buyers looking to tow regularly.

Payload – the maximum mass of passengers, cargo and accessories the car is legally allowed to carry – is quoted at 505kg, which is enough for passengers weighing an average of 90kg plus their luggage. However, loading up the CX-70 with five passengers and their gear will impact the allowable towing capacity, which is something to be aware of before heading out on the caravan-hauling road trip.

This is a niche SUV for a small cohort of buyers who value size and practicality but only need seating for five people at most. For them, the CX-70 is a viable option.

Certainly, the CX-70 plugs a gap in the segment where seven seats – usually – rule the day. Besides, those buyers who want seven seats have the Mazda CX-90 to fulfil their needs.

There are some minor foibles to consider, though, not least of all the taut and fidgety ride when road surfaces are less than perfect. And brake pedal feel does require a slight recalibration of driving style.

But there’s also plenty to like for those who do venture in Mazda CX-70 territory – a spacious and nicely appointed cabin sits front and centre, while the effortless nature of Mazda’s inline six-cylinder is a welcome reminder of simpler motoring times. Throw in a generous list of standard equipment, and the Mazda CX-70 has carved out a place in the brand’s line-up of ‘Large Architecture’ SUVs.

Rob Margeit is an award-winning Australian motoring journalist and editor who has been writing about cars and motorsport for over 25 years. A former editor of Australian Auto Action, Rob’s work has also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Wheels, Motor Magazine, Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. Rob’s current rides include a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a 2000 Honda HR-V Sport.

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