Mazda's 2024 CX-90 will be brand's 1st plug-in hybrid for U.S.

TOKYO – Mazda will step up its electrification efforts in the U.S. by introducing the CX-90 crossover as a performance plug-in hybrid tailored to American driving needs.

The large-size utility vehicle, positioned as a replacement for the CX-9, makes its world premiere in January as a 2024 model year, Mazda North America said Tuesday.

The CX-90 will be Mazda's first nationally available electrified vehicle, the company added. It plays a critical role in moving the brand's image upmarket as it dives deeper into electrification.

"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 said, emphasizing the offering's chops as a "performance-oriented" plug-in hybrid.

The three-row CX-90 will be followed by the two-row CX-70. Both play a critical role in fleshing out Mazda's offerings in large crossover segments. They are the U.S. counterparts to the narrower CX-60 and CX-80 crossovers, which are geared toward the Japanese and European markets.

The CX-60, already on sale in Japan and Europe, was Mazda's first plug-in hybrid.

Mazda did not offer details about the CX-90's drivetrain.

But in the U.S. market, the CX-70 and CX-90 are expected to get an e-Skyactiv PHEV version as well as a 3.3-liter inline six-cylinder turbocharged gasoline edition. One teaser photo of the CX-90 shows a badge touting the company's planned inline six-cylinder. The CX-60 has an e-Skyactiv PHEV drivetrain that marries a 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine to an electric motor.

The Japanese carmaker said in November it will plow more than $11 billion into electrification through 2030 through a string of new partnerships that target everything from batteries and motors to computer chips in an attempt to catch up in the global race for new technologies.

Mazda now expects EVs to make up between 25 and 40 percent of its global sales in 2030.