2024 Mazda CX-90

Mazda has been moving upmarket for a few years now, to a place between mainstream and luxury automakers

- Miguel Cortina

That mission has yet to be fully realized, but the new CX-90 arrives to keep pushing the plan as it replaces the CX-9 as both Mazda’s largest SUV and its flagship model.

With its long wheelbase and rear-drive proportions—its platform uses longitudinal engines, but all CX-90s will feature all-wheel drive—the three-row CX-90 stands out in a crowd of largely FWD-based crossovers, its subtle character lines and thick D-pillar adding noted sophistication. We asked Mazda’s North American CEO, Jeff Guyton, why it went for a more flowing, elegant aesthetic versus the boxy, rugged look seen often among the CX-90’s peers, and the answer couldn’t have been clearer: “We’re not trying to be a box company. We’re trying to give people an exciting and enriching experience” without charging them an arm and a leg.