Here’s why the Mazda CX-70 isn’t coming to New Zealand

Mazda revealed the latest addition to its SUV line-up overnight, the CX-70, but the manufacturer’s local arm has confirmed that it won’t be coming to New Zealand.

The new model is of course the third member of the brand’s Large Platform product family, joining the five-seat CX-60 and seven-seat CX-90 that were introduced to our market in late 2023.

However, Mazda NZ plans to launch the yet-to-be-revealed seven-seat CX-80 later this year which will bring its new SUV line-up to three, leaving no room for the two-row CX-70. Nevertheless, we thought we’d give you the rundown on it anyway.

As far as looks are concerned, the exterior and interior look identical to the CX-90 but Mazda didn’t disclose any dimensions, so it’s hard to tell how much the two models differ.

In terms of its styling appointments, customers can expect to find black accents throughout, complementing a set of black 21-inch wheels underneath. Inside, grey metallic inlays can be found on a variety of surfaces, while red Nappa leather with matching stitching can be optioned as a homage to the 100th Anniversary Special Edition MX-5.

It looks like the CX-70 has been fitted with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and same-sized infotainment touchscreen as found in its sibling models, but it hasn’t been confirmed whether the optional 7.0-inch cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment screen will be offered too.

Amazon Alexa will also feature, allowing occupants to change the temperature, radio station, and even their smart home devices hands-free.

Fitting your shopping in the back is made easy thanks to the remote folding second-row seats and additional storage spaces in the boot. Just how much shopping you can get in there remains a mystery though as storage capacity has yet to be disclosed.

All CX-70 variants will feature some form of electrification, with the e-SkyActiv G 3.3-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder being offered in conjunction with a mild or plug-in hybrid system. Power figures are also being kept quiet, but we can assure you there are enough horses under the bonnet to tow a rotary-powered Cosmo.

The model will come with a standard suite of safety and driver assistance features, as well as ‘Unresponsive Driver Support’ which automatically brings the vehicle to a stop if the driver does not respond to a series of escalating alerts.