Mazda’s first electrified model to be available in all 50 states will be the 2024 CX-90, the automaker officially announced Tuesday morning. But far more relevant to our interests is the fact that this new powertrain is being billed by Mazda as performance-oriented, much like Toyota’s 302-horsepower RAV4 Prime.
“While this is Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid in the U.S., the CX-90 PHEV will maintain the responsiveness, performance, and driving dynamics that define Mazda vehicles,” the company said in its announcement. “This all-new e-Skyactiv powertrain, tuned specifically for the North American market, will provide customers with the best of both worlds in terms of performance and efficiency.”
Mazda remains mum about what exactly we should expect to see under the hood, but we can look to the European CX-60 for clues. The CX-90 rides on the same rear-wheel drive platform and will be engineered to accommodate the same powertrain architecture. The plug-in variant of Europe’s CX-60 makes a respectable 323 horsepower. The current CX-90 checks in at 250 (with premium) from its I4, so even that alone would be a bump.
Interestingly, the CX-60 will be offered with 48-volt-assisted six-cylinder engines too (a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter along with a turbocharged 3.3-liter diesel that will absolutely never be offered here) but neither will be full hybrids. This is likely partially due to the CX-60’s smaller footprint and partially due to the fact that a mainstream two-row crossover will make do just fine with 323 horses.
We don’t have too long to wait for details; Mazda will reveal the 2024 CX-90 in January.
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