2026 Mazda CX-70 review

Does the Mazda CX-70 stack up against other luxury SUV marques, or is the Japanese brand punching too far above its weight to compete in this category?

3 May, 2026

Written by

Kris Ashton

Specifications

Body style

SUV

Engine

3.0-litre turbo diesel inline 6-cyl

Transmission

Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption (claimed)

5.4L/100km

Motor power

187kW

Motor torque

550Nm

Driven wheels

AWD

Towing capacity (braked)

2500kg

Towing capacity (unbraked)

750kg

ANCAP rating

Unrated

Price

From $76,720
before on-road costs

First launched in Australia late 2024, the Mazda CX-70’s circa-$80k price tag put it into the luxury large SUV pool, where it’s had to compete with everything from the BMW X5 to the Land Rover Defender.

But a carmaker positioning itself as the ‘budget’ marque in the luxury space isn’t a bad ploy if it can back it up with genuine quality and performance.

Does the Mazda CX-70 stand up to premium-level scrutiny? We drove the base model GT variant for a week to find out whether it’s the smart buy or just a luxury car pretender.

How much does the 2026 Mazda CX-70 cost?

The Mazda CX-70 comes in three specification levels with two mild hybrid powertrain options: petrol (G50e) and diesel (D50e).

Kicking off the petrol range is the Mazda CX-70 GT at $76,720 before on-road costs. Above this are the Azami ($84,666) and Azami SP ($89,216).

The diesel GT is priced at $78,720, with the Azami $87,266 and the Azami SP at $91,816.

While this might seem pricey, in the ‘large SUVs above $60k’ segment it’s a veritable bargain. Competitors to our test vehicle (the diesel GT) include the Audi Q7 3.0 45TDI (from $120,530), BMW X5 30d X-Line ($139,900), and Mercedes-Benz GLE 450d ($166,900).

On the petrol front, the nearest competitors on price are the Volvo XC90 (from $97,990) and the Genesis GV80 3.5T ($132,000).

The Mazda CX-70 is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is fairly standard in the luxury vehicle market. Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, with a total servicing cost of around $3500 over five years.

What is the 2026 Mazda CX-70 like inside?

While the interior feels American in its luxuriant proportions and layout, the finishes and build quality speak of Japanese precision and attention to detail. The supple leather upholstery exudes refinement and it’s pretty much impossible to find a hard or unpleasant surface anywhere in the cabin. Mazda’s styling can sometimes be a little staid, but the aluminium-look inlays and thin gold piping in our GT model lifted presentation substantially.

The cockpit-style driver display adds visual panache too, while also being functional. Infotainment controls are via Mazda’s familiar console dial system, which isn’t without its charms, although the centre screen has no touch operation (unlike many newer Mazdas) and that’s frankly a pain at times, especially if you’re connected to Apple CarPlay.

More agreeable are the sensibly positioned starter button and comprehensive strip of physical switches for climate controls. Front seat passengers are also privy to two drink holders, a wireless phone charger and a 12-volt socket, plus two USB-C ports hidden away in the armrest.

The passenger experience is just as plush in second row. Occupants get two USB-C charging points, seat heaters, a full complement of climate controls, a fold-down armrest with drink holders, and reading lights. There’s also plenty of space for every limb and body part – or at least that’s the case for outboard passengers; the transmission hump and intrusion of the rear air conditioning controls severely limit centre seat leg and foot room, making it suitable solely for small children.

That’s the only place where space is at a premium, however – the cargo area measures 1250mm from back seat to boot lip and the second row can shift forward to provide even more space. The boot is also an extraordinary 1100mm wide at its narrowest point. Some mid-sized SUVs don’t have cargo spaces that long.

The second-row seats can be dropped flat via electric buttons in the wall of the cargo area, plus a 12-volt socket and 220-volt/150-watt power point are also provided. Several tie-down points add practicality, while under the floor resides a space saver spare and its associated tools. Three top tether straps and two Isofix points take care of child restraint duties.

First impressions are superb, with a keyless entry/exit system that works perfectly and a starter button that falls to hand immediately.

— Kris Ashton

1/7

What equipment does the 2026 Mazda CX-70 come with?

Even the base GT model comes with just about everything you could want as standard. On the list are 21-inch black alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, leather steering wheel and leather seats with electric adjustment for driver and passenger, electric steering wheel adjustment, heated seats front and rear, heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Bose audio system, satellite navigation, 360-degree surround view monitor, adaptive LED headlamps (which work exceptionally well), hands-free tailgate and rear window sunshades.

There’s not a huge amount the Azami model can add, but it does get machined alloy wheels, Nappa leather seat trim, body-coloured wheel arches and cladding, ventilated front seats (very desirable for Australia’s climate), ambient interior lighting, a frameless rearview mirror, and a few other cosmetic and tech upgrades.

Shell out for the optional SP package and you’ll get tan Nappa leather seat trim, a suede-finish dashboard panel, and a two-tone steering wheel.

How safe is the 2026 Mazda CX-70?

None of the Mazda CX models has been ANCAP crash-tested, so the CX-70 remains unrated. Safety equipment is extensive, however, including eight airbags, anti-lock brakes and emergency braking assistance, blind spot monitoring with vehicle exit warning, emergency lane keeping, driver monitoring and attention alert, forward obstruction warning, front and rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition and more.

What powers the 2026 Mazda CX-70?

One of two 48-volt mild hybrid engines: a 3.3-litre turbo petrol inline six-cylinder (254kW/500Nm) or a 3.3-litre turbo diesel inline six-cylinder (187kW/550Nm).

Both are connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and have all-wheel drive capability, including an off-road setting and hill descent control.

Claimed fuel consumption is 8.1L/100km for the petrol variant and 5.4L/100km for the diesel.

What is the 2026 Mazda CX-70 like to drive?

We spent a week in the base model Mazda CX-70 GT diesel variant. First impressions are superb, with a keyless entry/exit system that works perfectly and a starter button that falls to hand immediately. By contrast, the transmission selector is needlessly complicated, with reverse at the top of the pattern and park located to the right of it. This becomes familiar after a while, but it offers no discernible benefit – it’s as if Mazda’s engineers designed it differently for the sake it.

Fire up the CX-70 and the lurching, torque-heavy nature of initial take-off instantly identifies the engine as a diesel, but that’s where any typical diesel characteristics end. The snappy eight-speed transmission keeps it in the optimum rev range for smooth acceleration and when you put your foot down the inline six-cylinder almost takes on a V8 quality, with a thrumming engine note that is pleasing to the ear. It doesn’t rev out much, of course, with a 6000rpm redline.

The CX-70 looks like a large and heavy SUV, and in this case looks aren’t deceiving. Body control is sound and all-wheel drive gives it plenty of grip, but a 2216kg SUV (kerb weight) is never going to feel nimble in corners – and when it’s time to park the CX-70, every millimetre of its 5120mm x 1994mm dimensions is in evidence. The distorted reversing camera image and misleading predictive guidelines don’t help, either. Steering is weighty to the point of being heavy, although the CX-70’s 5.9-metre turning circle is tiny considering its mammoth proportions.

In general driving, the diesel CX-70 is composed, smooth and effortless, with a good set of stoppers to haul in its bulk at red lights. The ADAS systems seldom intervene unnecessarily, with one exception: a cross-traffic alert which goes off so frequently at the slightest provocation that it becomes the boy who cried wolf – the driver starts disregarding it after a while.

Pottering around the suburbs used to be a diesel engine’s fuel consumption Kryptonite, but with hybrid assistance and Mazda’s i-stop system that’s not the case in the CX-70. Over 290km of driving (with only about one third of it on motorways), the CX-70 returned a staggering 4.0L/100km – better than its claimed combined figure of 5.4L/100km. With a 74-litre fuel tank, that makes the diesel CX-70 a genuine 1000km-per-fill vehicle.

Open Road’s take on the 2026 Mazda CX-70

Spacious, convenient, frugal, and yes, luxurious – the Mazda CX-70 has all the desirable appointments of its competitors without the astronomical asking price. Though somewhat cumbersome around town, the diesel Mazda CX-70 is a touring car masterpiece and, if you’re seeking a vehicle for a comfortable ‘big lap’ of Australia, it’s a fine option indeed.