The Mazda CX-90 PHEV gives luxury car vibes for a mainstream price

Enlarge / Can the big Mazda CX-90 make up for how disappointed we were with the last electrified Mazda we drove? (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Fairly or not, the Mazda CX-90 PHEV had a lot to make up for. The last electrified Mazda we drove was the abysmal MX-30, a cynical compliance car that proved too unpopular to remain on sale. That was a small hatchback crossover with suicide doors and a cork interior. The CX-90 PHEV, Mazda's full-size SUV, is a much more substantial proposition, with seating for up to eight and starting at a reasonable $47,445.

You may miss out on some of the very newest bells and whistles found in the latest German or Korean luxury cars, but as electrified three-rows go, there's a fair bit to like about this one.

The CX-90 uses a newly developed Mazda platform for larger vehicles, with rear-biased all-wheel drive powertrains. There's a turbocharged mild hybrid inline-six cylinder engine available in two different levels of tune, but the one we're interested in is the e-Skyactiv G powertrain, which pairs a turbocharged four-cylinder engine generating 189 hp (141 kW) and 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) with a 173 hp (129 kW), 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

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