CX-90 begins Mazda's shift upmarket

SONOMA, Calif. — There was a time in the early 1990s when Mazda toyed with creating a luxury arm, in the footsteps of its larger Japanese rivals: Toyota's Lexus brand, Honda's Acura division and Nissan's Infiniti.

But what was supposed to be the Amati brand became the Mazda Millenia, a luxury sedan that came and went with little notice.

Mazda is once again moving upmarket, but without a tony new brand under the corporate umbrella.

Instead, the CX-90 crossover, the biggest Mazda and the first to seat as many as eight passengers, will test the ambitions of one of Japan's smaller automakers. It features a leather interior with ventilated seats, suede dashboards and advanced camera monitors.

It replaces the CX-9, first introduced in 2007 and redesigned in 2016, as Mazda's flagship.

The new CX-90 is the most expensive Mazda, with the 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus priced at $61,275, including destination.

Overall, it is available with 11 different trim packages, three seating packages and three powertrain options, including Mazda's first plug-in hybrid — a complexity that rivals some nameplates that sell in much higher volumes, such as the Ford Explorer.

Jon Leverett, project manager of launch strategy for the crossover, said the goal is to give customers options to find the most value.

"We have to exceed expectations," Leverett said in an interview during a press event for the crossover. "The competition has gotten fierce with a lot of new entrants."

Premium luxury crossover shoppers want power telescopic and tilting steering wheels, robust towing capacity, adaptive LED headlights, fully digital gauge clusters, large infotainment displays, rear ventilated seats and advanced safety equipment.

Mazda has made these features available on the CX-90, and they can be programmed, adjusted and saved for multiple drivers.

Mazda is setting higher expectations for the CX-90. The CX-9 never topped 40,000 U.S. sales a year, though it set sales records in 2021 and again in 2022.

But the large crossover segment, led by the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer, has ballooned in recent years, mostly behind the debuts of the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade and Subaru Ascent.

While the Highlander, Explorer, Telluride and Palisade are direct rivals, the CX-90 can also be as well-equipped as the Acura MDX, Buick Enclave, Infiniti QX60, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and even Cadillac's XT6 and Lincoln's Aviator.

Mazda has received more than 10,000 dealer preorders for the crossover, and expects U.S. sales to top out at around 90,000 — triple the typical volume of the CX-9.

A sporty alternative to the CX-90, the CX-70, will be based on the same platform and launch in the fall, with combined sales of the two targeted at 120,000 annually.

Stephanie Brinley, associate director of auto intelligence at S&P Global Mobility, said the CX-90 allows Mazda to move in a direction the brand needs to target: more profitable vehicles in core segments.

"In the past, Mazda chased volume by cutting content and crazy-low pricing, mostly in Japan, but also in North America," said Brinley. "They are now targeting incremental volume at higher price points. Sixty thousand dollars plus for a three-row crossover that is more powerful and bigger [than the CX-9] is not unusual in the segment anymore. And they will control complexity as consumers mix and match preferences over time."

Brad Audet, chief marketing officer for Mazda North America Operations, said the company expects to draw some owners who want a "green" option out of luxury vehicles, such as the BMW X7 and Acura MDX, and into the CX-90 PHEV.

He said Mazda is being "competitive" with resources devoted to marketing the CX-90, with a limited amount of traditional broadcast spots, though the company intends to advertise during high-profile events, including the NHL playoffs and NBA Finals.

Mazda is relying heavily on social media, digital channels and influencers inside and outside of its usual club of fanboys and fangirls.

Becki Owens, a Southern California interior designer and Instagram star, for example, is featured in a YouTube video with actor Hiroyuki Sanada and Yasutake Tsuchida, a Mazda senior designer, to explore materials and colors that help create comfortable, relaxing interiors.

"Everyone has a Mazda story," said Audet. "We will engage and activate enthusiasts and other communities to spread the word about CX-90."

Mazda also has prepared for the CX-90's arrival at the dealer level, with nearly 300 of more than 500 stores converted under the brand's Retail Evolution program, first launched in 2014.

Eventually, Audet said, 80 percent of Mazda's U.S. sales will come from such stores.