2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Review: Is This the Best Plug-in Hybrid SUV?
Hello and welcome. My name is Jimmy and this is the Mazda CX70, a plug-in hybrid version of the CX70. You can get the inline 6 or you can get this, a four-cylinder made it to an electric motor. No matter which you choose, they’re both absolutely beautiful vehicles. This in the melting copper, it’s I love the sole red, don’t get me wrong, but this this is also really really nice. Let me tell you everything you need to know about it. Starting with some of the exterior features. The front end distinctively Mazda. You got the corporate grill and check out those flashing lights. Flash on, slow fade off. Love them. Absolutely beautiful. Because the CX70 is a more athletic and sportier version compared to the CX90. You also get a sportier treatment on the front bumper here. On the side, we get 21in wheels that fit the vehicle quite well because it is a large vehicle. You got the plug-in hybrid badging on the side here rather than the inline six. Proximity door locks on the front doors, but sadly not on the rear. However, the rear doors do open a full 90°. So, to get access to the inside, very, very easy. And what’s nice is the bottom of the door actually covers the bottom of the sill. So when you’re getting in and out, you don’t have to worry about your pants getting dirty. The back end, it’s your typical CX70 and CX90 look. Sure, the bumper is a little different, but the rest of it is distinguishly Mazda. Opening up the trunk, we get an enormous amount of space. At 40 cubic feet, it’s definitely large enough for everything that you’re going to be putting in here. What’s nice is because well the second row is a little bit further away, you get buttons on the side so you can easily fold down those rear seats when you need to. Under the floor we get a little bit of space, not too much back here. However, behind that you get a large large cubby. It’s definitely a little bit further than you may like, but I mean to throw emergency things like a blanket, some rations, you know, things that you think that you may need in case of an emergency, it’s actually a really good spot for it. Of course, you also get your spare tire underneath as well. Back here, well, it’s very spacious. I’m 5’11 and I got plenty of headroom, plenty of leg room. However, if I want to get something even longer in the trunk area, I can move the rear seats forward. So that way, I mean, I’m still safely buckled back here and still be able to carry something maybe a little bit longer in the trunk area. I can of course recline these seats if I need to just to stretch out a little bit more. I got my armrest in the center. Cup holders are here. Got my baby shades on the side. Ventilation, climate control, heated seats all in the center, USBC ports, everything that you would want in a modern SUV is available here. I would have liked the vents be up top, but that’s, you know, minor things. For a vehicle of this class, this is great. Sure, the CX90 is very similar. However, on most of the higherend trims on the CX90 with all the options you want, you get captain chairs. I personally like benches over captain chairs just cuz you’re able to have more people in here without well sending someone to the third row. However, if you’re thinking of fitting kiddos in here, I am a child passenger CXT technician and I do want to show you exactly how well child seats fit. The CX70 is relatively large and because of that, well, I was able to fit three car seats side by side here in the back seats. On the driver’s side, this is a Click Ling infant seat. In the middle, a Click Flow and on the passenger side, a rearward-facing Click F. There wasn’t any issues getting three seats in here. However, for most, I assume you’re going to have two seats, and that’s still going to be absolutely fine. There’s two sets of lower anchors and three sets of upper anchors for ease of insulation. Moving up front, the seats are very supportive. They have the right amount of bolstering. Nothing too aggressive. It’s not a vehicle designed for track days or anything like that, but it has enough bolstering to just well at least cradle you in the seat a little bit. They’re heated and cooled on this upper end trim, but sadly no massaging seats. It’s definitely something that they can do on the next iteration of the CX70. In front of me, your typical Mazda steering wheel, these thin spokes and just the overall design, I actually really like it. It has all the buttons that you naturally would want and paddles behind. It’s very easy to use. Behind the digital cluster that’s available here, it’s very clearly laid out. There’s your standard view and with a press of a button, it changes to the I active sense menu which just shows you like your distance and if you’re swaying outside the lanes. You also get a heads up display that shows you your speed, speed limit, even turnbyturn navigation can be shown there as well. The main infotainment display is I mean it’s a little bit smaller than that of some other brands, but because of the overall shape where it’s just wider rather than taller, it doesn’t just intrude on your outside vision. I do appreciate that navigation within the menu is just using this little wheel down here. And I personally like it because it reminds me a lot of the iDrive system and it’s a very just easy to use system. As long as you have like all your favorites and whatnot saved, it’s very very intuitive. But if not, it’s a little bit cumbersome to go from menu to menu. So there is that. You do get a dedicated set of climate control right below. So, it’s nice and easy to adjust all the temperatures that you would need. And the rest of the interior, well, it’s very functional. All the buttons are exactly where you think they should be. And there are a lot of buttons in here. Mazda did just skip out on that and put everything within the infotainment. There’s a button for almost everything that you need. So, it’s very easy for anyone to just jump in here and drive. And that’s exactly what the CX70 is designed for because powering this, well, like I said, it’s a plug-in hybrid. It’s a two and a half liter four-cylinder. With 87, which most people are going to put in, you get 309 horsepower combined and 369 lb feet. If you put premium fuel, it does bump it to 323 horsepower, but let’s be honest, most people are just going to be sticking with 87 in here. Made it to that is an 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. When you’re on the road with the CX70, you realize that in standard EV mode, it’s fine. Sure, it’s a little bit clunky between that, well, gear shifts and whatnot, and that’s just because the motor is sandwiched between the engine and transmission, so that’s normal. However, when you put this into sport mode, you engage a little bit of fun because Mazda, Mazda is a different type of car company. They want you to have fun in their vehicles. And in this, you definitely do. You can throw it into a corner and you realize just how good the chassis tuning of this vehicle is. Like, this is not normal. You shouldn’t be able to throw it that hard into a corner like that. And the engine noise, there’s a little bit more. I’m sure some of that is fake, but you get a little bit of that induction noise. You just get a little bit of more of that thrill. And in cars these days, you don’t really get that. And it just makes it that much more exciting, that much more fun. And that’s why I really, really enjoy this. However, I got to throw it back in normal because that’s how most people that’s going to be buying this will drive it. In normal mode, like I said, it’s absolutely fine. There’s nothing wrong with it. It drives well. It’s relatively quiet. Suspension is good. It soaks up all the bumps that it really needs. However, this is a vehicle that you want to drive at 8 or 9/10, not at 1010 because at that point you you’ll see it’s not as sophisticated as a German vehicle would be. You tend to under steer wide a little bit and sure yes it delivers power to the rear first but you don’t get that kind of rotation on the vehicle. It’s not that sophisticated. However, for most use cases, you won’t notice that. And even if you’re pushing it a little bit harder, you still don’t feel that. You don’t. This is a really, really good vehicle for those who just want to have a little bit more fun injected in their daily lives. And you don’t necessarily have to go for the inline 6. You still get fun here with the plugin. So, you can still be efficient and you can still have fun when you want it to. And it’s not like it’s a slouch cuz you put that foot down, it’s it’s decently quick. However, if you’re in like full EV mode and the engine hasn’t woken up yet, that first initial wake up is it’s a little sluggish. That could definitely be better. It’s just like, hey, oh, engine, you got to wake up. Sure, no problem. Let me do that. And then it gets up and running. Like, it’s it takes a little bit of time, but once it’s up and running, you put your foot down. Yeah, it’s good. It’s good. This is an enjoyable plug-in hybrid experience. That’s what you’re getting out of this Mazda product here. It’s very enjoyable and for the price, I don’t think it’s that bad. As spec here, it’s about $63,000 Canadian. You can get into one for under 60 if you get the base trim. I believe that’s GSL for the plug-in hybrid. If I’m wrong, I’ll put text up on my face. But for the cost, I don’t think it’s too bad. It’s a good compromise, too. And in some areas, you can get well rebates and whatnot, making it even more attractive. And just the overall vehicle that you’re getting here, the looks, the interior, just how everything feels, how it drives. This is an excellent product if you’re the type of person that likes to drive a vehicle and drive it not hard, not aggressively, but like you want to explore closer to the limits. You want to use all of the lane, you want to use all of that power, then the CX70 is definitely something that you should consider. In any case, let me know what your thoughts are on the CX70 in the comment section down below. Or is the CX90 the one to choose? I personally think I mean I’m a family of three. The 70 just makes a whole lot more sense. I don’t need the 90. I don’t need that third row. I’d rather have this slightly different front bumper and rear bumper treatment. Make it look a little bit more special. And that’s really it. Thank you so much for watching. Take care.
In this detailed review, I take a deep dive into the **2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV** (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle)! Does this new two-row luxury SUV blend performance, efficiency, and premium feel into a winning package? We cover the stunning exterior design, the luxurious interior, the plug-in hybrid’s EV range and power, and give you a full driving review.
Stick around to see if the CX-70 PHEV is the right choice for your driveway.
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### **2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV – Key Details**
* **Powertrain:** 2.5L Inline-4 paired with an Electric Motor
* **Combined Horsepower:** 319-323hp with 369lb-ft of torque
* **Electric-Only Range:** 42km or 26 miles of EV range
* **Highlights:** Standard i-Activ AWD, Premium Interior Materials, Driver-Focused Dynamics.
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