2024 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami review

Here we have a large luxury SUV… but there’s something amiss.

It has a classy presentation and there’s loads of space inside, not to mention the glorious tan upholstery with its leather and alcantara mix. It’s smooth on the road and packs a mechanical punch, too.

But where are the Mercedes-Benz badges? If there aren’t any of those, surely there’s at least a BMW or Audi logo somewhere in here?

Well, no. That’s because this is a Mazda, but it’s not really like any Mazda before it. This is the biggest, most expensive, and most powerful production car the Japanese marque has ever put to market, and for that reason it’s got a very difficult job.

Firstly, it’s a demonstration of Mazda’s ability to produce a premium vehicle at a premium price. The range kicks off at $75,000 before on-road costs and knocks on three-figures before you even think about optional packages.

Additionally, it’s going up against some stiff competition. Its price range means it’s competing with everything from the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder to the Audi Q7 and Genesis GV80. In other words, it’s up against tried-and-tested large SUV heavy-hitters and tasty offerings from dedicated luxury brands – all at once.

That doesn’t mean it’s out of its depth, though. The Mazda CX-90 brings with it newly-developed six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with 48V mild-hybrid technology, which Mazda claims are up to 47 per cent more powerful with 31 per cent more torque compared to the discontinued CX-9, while also being 40 per cent more fuel efficient.

On test here is the 2024 Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami SP, the jewel in Mazda’s large SUV range. It’ll ring up more than $100,000 once everything is said and done, thanks partly to the addition of the SP Package that brings with it some nice interior goodies.

It’s certainly a pretty penny, but is it a penny you should pay? After all, the CX-90 does still wear a Mazda badge – something not typically associated with upmarket luxury…

How much does the Mazda CX-90 cost?

Our tester is the most expensive Mazda ever sold in Australia, and starts at $94,435 before on-road costs. It also has a $5000 optional package included, which is detailed below.

There are two optional packages available for the top-spec Azami. The Takumi Package, priced at $5000, adds Pure White Nappa leather upholstery, a cloth dashboard panel with Kakenui stitching, and captain’s chairs for the second row.

The SP Package fitted to our tester also costs $5000 and retains the captain’s chairs, but replaces the white leather with Tan Nappa leather and dashboard trim with a suede finish, while adding a two-tone leather steering wheel.

To see how the CX-90 shapes up against its rivals, use our comparison tool.

What is the Mazda CX-90 like on the inside?

Mazda is no stranger to nice interiors, and there’s a respectable consistency across its entire model range.

That rings true even at the very pinnacle of what it has to offer. Even though there are upmarket underpinnings and a generally luxurious aura, nothing feels alien. It’s all very typical of Mazda in 2024, and that’s a good thing.

The 12.3-inch infotainment display is familiar in its perch atop the dashboard. It’s primarily controlled by a set of rotary dials on the centre console that have a nice, tactile feel, and it’s capped off by the crisp graphics and snappy responses.

It takes no time to launch the infotainment system on startup, and wireless Apple CarPlay connects quickly and effortlessly. Wireless smartphone mirroring worked flawlessly during our week with the car, which you would expect at this price point.

As with other Mazdas the touchscreen is disabled once you’re on the move. That’s only really an inconvenience if you’re using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as it can be a little clunky to navigate these specialised menus using the dials instead of your finger.

Fortunately it takes but a moment to get used to, and unless you need to be constantly fiddling with the screen on the road you won’t have any issues. The centre armrest is also positioned nicely for comfortable use of the dials.

The key distinguishing factor of the SP Package is the Tan Nappa leather upholstery, which is a nice change over the Azami’s standard Black Nappa trim. It covers the seats, top of the dashboard, door cards, and inside of the two-tone steering wheel, along with a matching suede panel along the dashboard’s front-facing portion.

With this colour combo you also get a black headliner, which makes for a cozy atmosphere. There’s a large sunroof on top, but the panoramic effect is somewhat disrupted by a large beam across the middle. Still, it’s no complaint to have it included.

Up the front you’ll find a climate control system with an almost overwhelming amount of buttons, though it’s commendable Mazda has stuck to its guns rather than switching to a touchscreen setup for these functions.

Everything you need is in one place, and there’s a small screen fitted above the array of buttons that means nothing is left to guesses. There’s no gloss black trim to be found either, as the centre console is finished with a classy almost-wood appearance.

Nearby there’s also a solid, traditional gear selector placed next to two cupholders with a sliding cover, as well as a discreet drive mode selector. In addition, there is a cubby with a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt outlet, as well as two USB-C ports in the centre console box.

Behind the wheel is a digital instrument display that switches its colour theme depending on the selected drive mode. It looks great thanks to its clean and simple layout, and it doesn’t give you too much information if you don’t want it.

In its typical configuration there’s a tachometer, speedometer, and a shared gauge for engine temperature and fuel level. It’s all refreshingly traditional despite the hefty price, and I’m a fan of what Mazda has done here.

You’ll find a standard arrangement of infotainment and driver assist controls on the wheel’s spokes, which all feel nice to use and don’t get in the way when driving. There are also standard wiper and light stalks on the steering column, the latter of which engages an indicator with a satisfying percussive click.

Ahead of the driver is a head-up display with driver assist and road sign info, which again is standard in appearance for Mazdas with systems equipped. The only complaint I could find with it is a slight delay in its speedometer reading, which isn’t always exactly in sync with what’s being shown on the main instrument display.

In terms of front storage there’s a sizeable glovebox and bottle holders in the door cards, as well as sunglasses storage on the ceiling. Centre console storage is limited beyond the two cupholders, as the storage box opens with a split cover to reveal a fairly shallow cubby.

The second row of the CX-90 is where the Azami’s SP Package really shines. By and large it’s really a duplication of the front, just without the steering wheel.

Included in the package are captain’s chairs in place of a typical bench, which means back seat passengers get a centre console and some added space all around. You notice that space too, as there’s loads of head- and legroom for even your most outlandishly tall friends.

Front and centre are two air vents, and it’s seriously impressive (and expected, given the price) they’re supplemented by a dedicated climate control system with its own buttons and screen. The driver still has ultimate control though, as the rear system can be switched off by a button on the front climate interface.

The rear captain’s chairs feature heating and ventilation, and there are two cupholders on the centre console armrest ahead of an enclosed storage cubby. If all that isn’t enough, there are two USB-C outlets positioned below the rear vents and climate controls.

In the very back is a third row with two additional seats, though they’re not nearly as well appointed or comfortable as the captain’s chairs ahead. Even so, there’s still a USB-C outlet and dual cupholders on each side.

They typically reside in a folded-down position to allow standard use of the boot, and sitting them up is no sweat thanks to a handy pull-strap. The second row can slide forwards to allow extra room for third row passengers to clamber in and out, or provide additional rear leg-room should it be required.

Of note, climbing into the second or third rows isn’t a problem as the rear doors open to 90 degrees. That’s certainly a big plus if you’ve got to fit child seats and want to make use of the CX-90’s range-standard five top-tether and two ISOFIX anchor points.

Boot space is around the middle of the road against its competition, but you do get a large, flat load floor, 150W outlet and 12-volt outlet as standard.

It’s not exactly fair to suggest this interior should be like something you’d find in a European offering in the same segment. That’s not because it can’t hang, but instead because Mazda has succeeded in translating its established interior design language into an upmarket application.

It really is difficult to hop in and not be impressed by what has been accomplished, especially if you’ve gone for either of the premium optional packages on the already nice Azami.

To see how the CX-90 shapes up against its rivals, use our comparison tool.

What’s under the bonnet?

Our tester was powered by a 3.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, though a turbo-diesel with the same displacement is also available. Both offer mild-hybrid technology and are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive.

To see how the CX-90 shapes up against its rivals, use our comparison tool.

How does the Mazda CX-90 drive?

The CX-90’s interior is a nice place to spend time, and it more or less backs it up with a solid on-road experience.

Firing the 3.3-litre straight-six brings with it an idle that is refined enough to almost have you forget what’s under the bonnet.

While it isn’t obnoxious, it’s done with a purpose that convinces you it’s a well-built, premium machine, rather than a gutless motor hiding under a luxury façade.

Move the nicely weighted gear selector into drive and you’re ready to go. The first thing you’ll notice is the light steering, which provides a smooth feel without compromising on feedback from the road.

Mazda has done well to dial in such a comfortable and balanced experience from a vehicle as big as the CX-90. Accelerating from a standstill gives you an opportunity to feel and hear Mazda’s most powerful production engine to date, and it makes no effort to hide anything.

For a production straight-six designed for a luxury SUV, it produces a very nice sound all the way through the rev range. Sure, Mazda does pump some artificial sound into the cabin, but it’s by no means distracting, obnoxious, or necessarily out of place.

I’d argue in a car like this, it’s well worth some extra noise for its occupants, because that means it can still maintain a refined outside presentation while not completely masking the engineering effort that has gone on under the skin.

One of the only downsides is the eight-speed automatic transmission, at least at lower speeds. While you can’t knock it for being buttery smooth most of the time, it does like to short shift through the first couple of gears as the car gets going, which means you spend a fair bit of time between gears when you’d rather be putting that power to the ground.

That’s partly due to the mild-hybrid system, which Mazda says “supports the engine at lower speeds while delivering enhanced environmental performance by using regenerative braking to replenish the onboard battery.”

It’s almost impossible to notice that most of the time, but it can cause the engine to stumble at lower speed as it sorts itself out. The system works well to shut down the engine when coasting and coming to a stop, though it didn’t help us to get very close to the claimed fuel economy figure.

To Mazda’s credit, there are three different drive modes on offer that mean you’ll have plenty of choice depending on the driving you’re doing.

Flicking the Mi-Drive switch puts the CX-90 into either sport or off-road mode, though it’s the former that allows you to unleash the engine’s full potential.

It holds gears longer for improved acceleration, while also giving you a bit more noise to boot. It’s impressive if you give it a boot-full, and certainly doesn’t hang around if you’re in a rush.

The gearbox is snappy and responds well to different throttle inputs. If you’re cruising along at a constant speed but need to speed up in a rush, it wastes no time in kicking down to the right gear as you need.

Overall, the CX-90 is very sure-footed and has no trouble staying in its lane, which is reassuring given its sheer size. To its benefit it doesn’t feel unwieldy, which makes it easy to get in and go if you’ve not driven a car like the before.

As with the interior, Mazda has done a good job making the driving experience familiar. There’s not really anything going on that will surprise you, and even some things that might be new to some people are intuitive and easy to figure out just by spending time with the car.

Some of those are the driver assist features like adaptive cruise control, which works very well in conjunction with lane-keep assist on the highway. At no point did I feel like I couldn’t trust either system, and lane-keep assist in particular did very well keeping the car centred in its lane. No issues to report here.

The only real problem I experienced was with blind-spot monitoring, which seemed overreactive at times. I once went to change lanes to the right and could physically see a car safely behind my blind spot, though the system must’ve thought it would be in the way – loudly beeping and then pulling the steering back into my lane.

It was a touch unnerving, but realistically it’s not the worst if a system like blind spot monitoring is ‘too good’. Other than that, everything worked flawlessly.

Even the digital rear-view mirror was quick to activate when someone with poorly aligned headlights came up behind me, and packed a good quality camera and display combo on top.

Additionally, the heated side mirrors that work in combination with the rear demister did an excellent job in clearing themselves up on those frosty Melbourne mornings.

For a car of this size, it also performed well under braking with the assist of its regenerative mild-hybrid system. There were no problems when slowing down in a hurry, and it never really felt like the car was too much for itself to handle.

The only real downside is there was a touch too much road noise entering the cabin for a car being marketed from such a luxury angle.

That’s probably due to the 21-inch wheels that come standard on Azami models, which means there’s less tyre rubber to insulate the road from the rest of the car.

If you can live with that, there’s nothing else going on mechanically that should keep the CX-90 off your shopping list. Still, everything bar a couple of driver assist features are available in the exact same setup lower down the range…

What do you get?

Our tester came fitted with the whole catalogue of Mazda features, including the optional SP Package.

CX-90 Touring highlights:

• 19-inch silver metallic alloy wheels
• 360-degree view monitor
• 7.0-inch TFT LCD multi-information meter display
• 10.25-inch Mazda Connect display
• 8-speaker audio with DAB+ 
• Active driving display
• Adaptive cruise control
• Advanced keyless entry
• Tri-zone climate control with independent rear control
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (Wireless and USB)
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror 
• Blind Spot Monitoring incl. Vehicle Exit Warning
• Body colour exterior mirrors
• Driver monitor
• Exterior mirrors
  • Power adjustment
  • Auto fold
  • Heating
  • Auto dimming
  • Memory function
• Front, rear parking sensors
• Front bumper with gloss black bar grille
• Gloss black side pillar garnish
• Glove box illumination
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Heated seats (front)
• Leather seats
• Front seat power adjustment, driver memory
• Leather shift knob
• Leather side door trim with door courtesy lamp (Front)
• Leather steering wheel
• Auto LED headlights incl. High Beam Control
• Map reading spot lamps
• Overhead console with sunglass holder
• Rear console with LED lamp, USB-C
• 150W AC outlet
• Rear door window sunshade
• Satellite navigation
• Smart Brake Support (AEB) with Turn-across traffic
• Vanity mirror with lamp
• Wireless phone charger

CX-90 GT adds:

• 12.3-inch widescreen display
• 12.3-inch TFT LCD driver display
• 21-inch silver metallic alloy wheels 
• Adaptive LED headlights
• LED ‘bright’ signature running light
• Electric steering wheel adjustment
• Heated seats (front, rear)
• Heated steering wheel
• Interior foot lamp (driver and passenger)
• Leather side door trim with door courtesy lamp (front, rear)
• Panoramic sunroof 
• Personalise system (auto restoration of settings)
• Premium Bose audio incl. 12 speakers, amplifier
• Rear combination lights with signature illumination

CX-90 Azami adds:

• 21-inch black metallic, machined alloy wheels 
• 360-degree monitor with See Through View
• Ambient lighting
• Black Nappa leather seat trim 
• Body-coloured wheel arches, lower cladding
• Cruising & Traffic Support
• Frameless interior mirror
• Interior foot lamp (front, rear)
• Personalise system
• Ventilated seats (front)

A pair of $5000 optional packages are available on the Azami.

Takumi Package adds:

• Pure White Nappa leather seat trim
• Bright decoration panel
• Cloth dashboard panel with Kakenui stitching
• White Maple Wood console, door trim inserts
• Second-row captain’s seats with ventilation
• Second-row centre console with storage

SP Package adds:

• Tan Nappa leather seat trim
• Suede finish dashboard panel
• Two-tone colour steering wheel
• Second-row captain’s seats with ventilation
• Second-row centre console with storage

Is the Mazda CX-90 safe?

The Mazda CX-90 is yet to be crash-tested by ANCAP, and is therefore unrated.

Standard safety features include:

• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
  • Junction assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Auto high-beam
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Front, rear parking sensors
• Lane keep assist
• Secondary Collision Reduction System
• Vehicle Exit Warning
• 360-degree camera system

CX-90 GT adds:

CX-90 Azami adds:

• 360-degree cameras incl. See-Through View
• Cruising & Traffic Support
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Lane centring assist

How much does the Mazda CX-90 cost to run?

As with the wider Mazda range, the CX-90 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

G50e models will require maintenance every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, while D50e models have 10,000km intervals.

Mazda offers a capped-price scheme for the first seven services, with prices detailed below:

By comparison, Nissan also offers 12 month, 15,000km service intervals for its Pathfinder, with capped pricing offered for the first six services. For 4WD models, those six services total $4227.

CarExpert’s Take on the Mazda CX-90 G50e Azami SP

Mazda has done an exceptional job on their first large luxury effort, but we don’t know if the most expensive option is the pick of the bunch.

Yes, there are some things like a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, and lane centring assist that definitely improve the on-road experience and yes, you only get the beautiful Takumi and SP packages on this spec, but is that all worth it?

What else do you really get for an extra few thousand dollars over the cheaper models? That beast of an engine is available on all CX-90s, and its refined handling mechanics aren’t unique to the top of the range, either.

It’s not that big of a step down to the GT, so if you can live without those couple of extra niceties that option might be the better pick.

Still, if you must have the latest and greatest, this is an exceptional car.

As far as luxury large SUVs go, this is still about $15,000 cheaper than the Q7 and around $60,000 cheaper than the similarly sized BMW X7. That makes it a competitive choice in comparison, but it’s not quite up to the level of the Europeans when everything is said and done.

There are a few things to be ironed out with the drivetrain in particular which take the edge off the premium interior and classy appearance. Given it’s a fairly new application though, there is time to do just that.

MHEV tech is a very nice addition as well, and it’s no question there are a multitude of ways to make it yours. I can’t get enough of either of the two optional packages on this car and having experienced the SP Package, I’m curious to see the Takumi in the flesh.

Once this car is properly sorted, it’ll be a formidable player in the large SUV game. Until then, I’d suggest weighing up the range and seeing if a cheaper CX-90 would be right for you instead.

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