New Mazda CX-90: Australian pricing and specs

Mazda Australia has confirmed its all-new 2023 Mazda CX-90 will be available Down Under in six flavours from its August release, including three trim levels and two powertrains priced from $74,385 plus on-road costs.

As per the first model to emerge from Mazda’s all-new Large Product platform – the shorter, narrower five-seat Mazda CX-60 medium SUV that beats it on sale here in June – the seven-seat CX-90 large SUV will come with inline six-cylinder turbo petrol and diesel engines matched exclusively to a rear-biased all-wheel drive system.

A turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine based plug-in hybrid powertrain will join the CX-90 range in 2024, when the all-new seven-seat CX-80 – effectively a stretched version of the CX-60 – also arrives Down Under.

The CX-90’s near-$75K starting price positions it about $15K north of the CX-60 and is almost $27K higher than the cheapest CX-9, which will be discontinued later this year.

But while the CX-90 will become Mazda’s new flagship SUV, the (recently updated) CX-8 will continue as the Japanese brand’s entry-level seven-seat SUV, priced from about $42K and available in front-drive four-cylinder petrol and, unlike the CX-9, all-wheel drive four-cylinder diesel power.

The three CX-90 trim levels are the Touring, GT and Azami grades – as per most of Mazda’s other models – while the powertrains are the previously detailed 3.3-litre turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel straight sixes good for 254kW/500Nm and 187kW/550Nm respectively.

Both sixes are paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, but there’s no set price premium for one or the other, with the petrol being slightly cheaper in the base variant but up to $1365 more expensive in the higher grades – see full pricing table below.

Towing capacities are rated at 750kg for an unbraked trailer for both engines, while the petrol engine will tow a heavier braked trailer, up to 2500kg, while the diesel is rated at 2000kg. Tow-ball weight is 150kg for both models.

All versions are loaded with gear and carry pricetags reflective of the CX-90’s upmarket positioning as the absolute flagship of Mazda’s global model portfolio.

Standard equipment highlights on the Touring grade include a new-generation 10.25-inch infotainment system with smartphone mirroring and DAB+ digital radio, silver 19-inch alloy wheels, eight-speaker sound system, 360-degree camera, three-zone climate control, leather upholstery, heated power adjustable front seats with memory function for the driver, sat-nav, wireless phone charging and automatic LED headlights.

Stepping up to the mid-range GT (from $84,800) adds a number of more opulent features like a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 21-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights, panoramic roof, electric steering wheel adjustment, heated rear seats and steering wheel, 12-speaker BOSE sound system, ‘personalise’ system and some extra leather bits.

At the top of the CX-90 tree, the flagship Azami is priced from $93,865, making it the most expensive Mazda production vehicle to date.

That’s apart from the limited-edition homegrown RX-7 SP, which sold for $101,600 in 1995, but based on the $10K-plus price premium for the plug-in hybrid system in the CX-60, the CX-90 PHEV should top that.

As such, the CX-90 Azami adds even more lavish equipment including Nappa leather upholstery, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, a frameless interior mirror and an easy entry system. The CX-9 flagship can also be distinguished from its peers by its two-tone black and silver alloy wheels and body-coloured cladding.

Azami customers will be able to elevate the luxury stakes even higher via optional $5000 Takumi or SP packages, the former of which adds white Nappa leather, a bright decoration panel, cloth dashboard panel with Kakenui stitching, white maple wood trim, second-row captain’s seats with ventilation and a corresponding centre console.

Meantime, the SP package contains tan Nappa leather seat trim, a suede-finish dashboard panel, two-tone steering wheel and its own set of ventilated captain’s seats in the second row.

All CX-90s will come with Mazda’s proprietary Kinematic Posture Control corning technology to help improve body control, as well as the obligatory suite of active safety features including smart brake support (AEB), emergency lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring with vehicle exit warning and post-collision braking.

Eight exterior paint colours will be on offer, including a new ‘Artisan Red Metallic’ finish and pre-existing Mazda hues like Deep Crystal Blue Mica, Jet Black Mica, Machine Grey Metallic, Platinum Quartz Metallic, Rhodium White Metallic, Sonic Silver Metallic and Soul Red Crystal Metallic.

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi said the CX-90 “establishes a new dimension in grand SUV touring”.

“This is more than Mazda’s new flagship SUV: The CX-90 is an expression of exceptional craftsmanship and human-centric technologies, a sophisticated and dynamic vehicle for families and lovers of adventure,” he said.

Orders for Mazda’s new flagship SUV open this week, ahead of first local deliveries in August.

How much does the 2023 Mazda CX-90 cost?
Touring petrol – $74,385
Touring diesel – $75,800
GT petrol – $86,085
GT diesel – $84,800
Azami petrol – $95,185
Azami diesel – $93,865
* Prices exclude on-road costs

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