#Mazda

As I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge for the third time, thanks to Google Maps failing at its one primary job (more on that later), I realized I’d be quite late for lunch. No matter, I thought, since I’d get more time with the 2024 Mazda CX-90.

Time for yet more shameless self-promotion! The latest episode of our podcast is now live. On it, we discuss the Mazda CX-90, EV pricing, and Honda's fuel-cell strategy.

The new Mazda CX-90 is coming in spring with three new powertrains, a shockingly nice interior, and the right features to make “Ze German” luxury SUVs quake in their opulent, leather-clad interiors. Mazda recently announced pricing for the vehicle, which starts in mainstream territory and extends dangerously close to the premium-brand MSRPs of the vehicles it’s chasing. 

Matt reported earlier today that Mazda is intent on keeping the Miata around basically forever. But it's unclear what it has in mind for the car in the future.

With the current-generation Mazda MX-5 nearing the end of its lifecycle, there are a lot of questions about what exactly its successor will be like. The ND Miata has effectively built on the foundation of its predecessors without changing the recipe. But increasingly strict regulatory environments and changes in consumer tastes have left questions about whether or not the MX-5 will become electrified. There have also been rumors that Mazda may simply abandon the vehicle, as there don’t appear to be any firm development plans for it just yet.

Mazda’s European CEO, Martijn ten Brink, has attempted to assuage any concerns by stating that the MX-5 will probably be around “forever.” Though he did admit that the manufacturer hadn’t committed itself to the technical makeup of the next-gen Miata.

Mazda currently sells four crossovers, not including the California-only MX-30 EV. But it doesn’t have a premium-priced three-row. Yes, the three-row CX-9 is nice for the price, but it’s not quite the flagship the brand needs.

Enter the CX-90.

I am currently somewhere over Colorado on the way to Los Angeles. I'm heading to Cali to see the new Mazda CX-90, which will be unveiled to the media over the next few days.

I'm curious -- what do you want to know about the vehicle?

The Mazda CX-90 teasers continue. We talked specs yesterday, but a new teaser video from Mazda itself gives us a glimpse of the vehicle.

Much of the automotive world is shifting to developing EVs and new alternative fuels. Meanwhile, Mazda is busy developing rotary range extenders and new internal combustion engines to power its vehicles. 

Fans of the mythical rotary engine, a powerplant spoken of in hushed tones by Mazda fans ever since the company killed it off about a decade ago, will have something to celebrate after the Brussels Motor Show later this week.

Adding to its portfolio of electrification options, Mazda will be offering a fresh powertrain choice in its little MX-30 crossover, one which features an electric generator powered by a newly developed rotary engine.

Incomprehensible naming schemes aside (CX-50 versus CX-5 will be spoken of in marketing case studies for years to come), Mazda has made a habit of cranking out attractive-looking vehicles with an eye towards driving enjoyment. Helping the latter immensely is the smart decision to have serious gearheads at the helm of most Mazda projects. 

Mazda has confirmed that the upcoming CX-90 three-row SUV will be the first of its U.S. products to utilize a plug-in-hybrid powertrain. Leading up to the formal debut, scheduled for next month, the automaker released a teaser of the crossover's back hatch – showcasing an "e-Skyactiv PHEV" badge with some blue accenting. 

Mazda is moving to new platforms and engines for its latest SUVs, and the automaker just teased the upcoming CX-90 three-row. 

Chasing the active lifestyle crowd, or perhaps cluing in that the CX-5 is an excellent machine but there’s room on the lot for a variant with a smidgen of off-road cred, Mazda introduced the CX-50 earlier this year. Think of it as a CX-5 in hiking boots and an L.L. Bean coat.

Now, the brand is taking it a step further with the CX-50 Meridian, a trim that brings all-terrain tires and a smattering of exterior accents to imply it’s ready for the trail – or at least that gravel patch at the mall.

It’s time once again for more Kia large sedan goodness. Like last time, we pick up in the early 2010s. Kia’s second full-size sedan developed under Hyundai’s controllership was the K7, or Cadenza in all markets outside South Korea. Pitched as a value-priced premium front-drive car, it competed against the likes of the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima, but lacked any defined comfort or sporty characteristics. Cadenza also had a bland corporate design courtesy of the company’s new Euro-like styling mission, and former VW designer Peter Schreyer.

Shortly after the Cadenza went on sale, Kia turned its sights toward an even larger sedan: A new rear-drive one to occupy the luxury space, a class above the Cadenza. It was the largest car Kia offered in nearly two decades, the first rear-drive Kia since the (Mazda Sentia) Kia Enterprise of 2002, and the first rear-drive sedan Kia ever sold in the North American market. It’s time for K9.