2025 Mazda CX-70 Turbo S Premium Plus Review

This week I bring you the 2025 Mazda CX-70, a really beautiful SUV like its larger sibling the three-row CX-90 (and they do share a platform). Both models are new to Mazda's lineup. My test vehicle is the top-of-the-line Turbo S Premium Plus.

Exterior  

My CX-70 wears a Rhodium White premium hue which looks sharp with machine cut 21-inch Black Metallic wheels. The front end features a gloss black honeycomb mesh grille, LED lights and adaptive front lighting.

Other exterior features include LED tail lights, heated power folding side mirrors and piano black aluminum roof rails. I will say I had to do a double take when I looked at the exterior badging. It really reminds me of Lincoln for some reason. 

Performance  

The CX-70 is available either with a Turbo engine or as a plug-in hybrid (Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds reviews the PHEV variant here.)  This model has the top-range 3.3.-liter inline 6 Turbo S engine with a mild hybrid system that delivers 340-horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, when using premium fuel. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters and comes with standard all-wheel drive. 

Interior

Wow, does my test vehicle's two-toned interior pop! Its Tan Nappa leather-trimmed interior with suede-like accents contrasts beautifully with the white exterior.  The cabin is well designed and executed, using a sophisticated mix of color and textures that include contrast gray metallic inlays. Door panels have a lot of textured interest.  Contrast stitching adds detail to the dash and other areas. Mazda really takes us into luxury territory.

The 8-way power quilted Nappa leather driver's seat is super comfortable.  I think the headrests, which push forward more than most for neck support, are some of the most ergonomic I've encountered. Definitely a highlight. This trim features three-level heated and ventilated front seats. A two-toned leather-wrapped steering wheel is also heated, though it didn't seem to get very warm.

It took Mazda's new SUV lineup for the automaker to fully embrace digital driver displays and I love how they've done so. The CX-70's colorful 12.3-inch digital display is bright, easy to read and all the graphics are excellent.  The center displays a different graphic for each drive Mode, Sport, Normal and Off-Road. It also displays road sign and speed limit sign info. 

The CX-70 has a 12.3-inch color center display that is a touchscreen only when you're using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. It also hosts navigation and a great backup camera. Overall, I am not a huge fan of the system and its multimedia dial-based controller which has, and always will, seem cumbersome to me.  The system does feature wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Alexa Built-In, the latter of which is a brand first. A real bright spot for me was the 12-speaker Bose sound system. It sounds excellent.

If you're not a fan of operating everything through a touchscreen, you'll like the CX-70. It has traditional controls for climate functions accessible on the center stack.

The metallic inlays used on the center console give off a great modern vibe and the quality of the leather on the cushiony center console is noteworthy. The console itself is shallow but offers USB-C ports. On the center console you find a short gear shift knob,  along with Mi-Drive mode select, the infotainment controller and a few other controls. 

A 60/40 split roomy back seat will definitely impress your passengers with its heated (outboard) and reclining seats, digital A/C controls,  cushiony drop-down center armrest and manual sunshades.   Love the soft-touch seatbacks, too.

A hands-free power liftgate opens to a nice cargo area with a tonneau cover.  The CX-70 is also notable for introducing the brand's first-ever remote-folding rear seats to the lineup.  You'll find those buttons back here as well.  Instead of the third row, like in the CX-90, you get a new underfloor storage area.

Standard features also include a power panoramic roof, a wireless phone charger and rain sensing wipers.

Ride and Drive

Ride and driving quality is excellent and the CX-70 is an engaging SUV to drive. This is a heavy SUV but wow does it move on the highway. While there is a little turbo lag, overall acceleration felt great as did the super smooth ride.

It also didn't miss a step in extremely wet road conditions, thanks to all-wheel drive. Even the Advanced Driver Assistance features performed well while it was raining.  Mi-Drive features sport, off-road and towing modes.

Safety  

The CX-70 offers all the Advanced Adaptive Safety features you'd expect.  I do have to comment on how impressed I was with their performance in the rain.

Adaptive Cruise Control was fantastic, slowing down without any intervention in rainy conditions.  ADAS systems also keep me in my lane, when tested in the rain. Superb job Mazda! 

Also, the driver assistance graphics in the digital display- and head up display- are quite amazing!  They are so bright, and easy to see. They kept me well informed in the rainy weather I encountered. Like the digital display, the head up display will show you speed limit info, road sign info, as well as driver assistance info. 

Options and What You'll Pay

The only option on my test vehicle is the special paint which adds on $595, bringing total MSRP to just shy of $58,000 with transportation.  Interestingly, the CX-70 is priced pretty on par with its larger, very similar sibling minus the third-row.  So for the same price essentially, you can get three rows. Huh.

Verdict

The two-row CX-70 shines in the midsize SUV segment with its elegant style, luxuriously modern interior and overall quality. It's certainly a stylish addition to the Mazda lineup, though the pricing is a little confusing.