Mazda is four days from revealing its next big project and teasing out details like a high-end chef tweezing herbs onto a serving stone.
The company is assembling one 2024 CX-90 SUV by hand in a series of “unboxing” videos on YouTube, hosted by Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada of “Westworld” and “The Last Samurai” fame.
A Midsize SUV, and a Move Upscale for Mazda
Mazda has long enjoyed a reputation as a near-luxury automaker. Its prices are similar to mainstream car builders like Toyota or Ford. But it aims its vehicles at buyers looking for an enthusiast driving experience and a few hints of luxury.
The CX-90 seems to be Mazda’s attempt to turn that dial to 11.
From what we know so far, it’s a midsize 3-row SUV. Mazda has given no hints as to price, but the vibe of the videos and marketing efforts so far says this will be a step up from the current CX-9. We’d be skeptical of Mazda pricing it in BMW X5/Lexus RX territory, but it could edge close to luxury cars in its highest trims.
An Inline-6 or a Plug-in Hybrid
Mazda has dropped hints about two powertrains.
One uses a turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine – a powertrain setup more common to luxury vehicles than Mazda’s usual fare. The other will be a plug-in hybrid Mazda says is tuned for performance.
Lots of Closeups of Thread and Wood
The latest unboxing video focuses on the car’s interior but shows only closeups of materials, saving the full cabin for the car’s formal unveiling next week. Mazda Senior Director of Design Yasutake Tsuchida and interior designer Becki Owens spend several minutes discussing simple, elegant color palettes and a line of stitching drawn from Japanese bookbinding techniques.
If that sounds frustratingly vague, you’re getting the spirit of these videos. No dashboards. Just vibes.
Still, we can see a row of physical buttons under the central touchscreen. That suggests Mazda will avoid the Scandinavian minimalism that has taken over much of car design in 2023.
We’ll bring you more next week when our editors are scheduled to attend the car’s unveiling.
