Make it Mazda
Just when you thought the CX-9 was the ultimate luxury SUV from Mazda, we now have this. Called the CX-90 Takami, it is the new pinnacle of luxury with a Mazda badge. Is it any good though?
The $93,490 CX-90 Takami sits atop the Mazda family, not just in terms of their SUVs, but the whole range in general. A full seven-seater, its stance and styling cues follow the same design language as the smaller CX-60 plug in hybrid and CX-30. There are lovely cues such as chrome accents, 21-inch black and machined alloys, and various subtle air intakes. All in all, the CX-90 Takami is a good looking car.
The interior sports the full luxe treatment associated with the Takami badge, and all the quality which that implies. It is a delightful place to be, and everything you touch and operate feels so much better put together than most rivals at this price point. The Nappa leather seats are uber plush, and the large centre console housing a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, aircon controls, and shifter, is within easy reach.
Tech includes a 360-degree rear camera, heated and ventilated leather seats front and rear, a panoramic glass sunroof, i-adaptive cruise control, heated steering wheel, a hands-free power tailgate, a thumping 12-speaker BOSE stereo system, sat nav and Mazda’s facial recognition driver technology. The latter of these means that every time you hop in, the CX-90 recognises your face and changes things like the steering and seat position to match your preferences.
Interior space is very generous and when you drop the third and second row seating, the CX-90 can swallow up 2025L of cargo, including under floor storage. The meat on the bones in terms of performance is a 3.3L six cylinder e-SKYACTIV G petrol engine with a Mild Hybrid set up.
On the move, this serves up 253kW and 500Nm of torque, which kicks in low down in the rev range. Mazda’s Kinematic Posture Control or KPC keeps you level and balanced in the corners really well. It may be a high riding SUV, but on the bends, it corners brilliantly. Switch from Normal to Sport mode and it can certainly shift too. The eight-speed auto box shifts well, and the AWD system offers plenty of road hugging grip. Despite sporting a kerb weight of 2.2 tonnes, the CX-90 still feels lively and spirited in many ways. It’s not a performance SUV like some of its more expensive Euro counterparts, but for a car designed for brisk comfort, it is impressive.
The pinnacle of the Mazda range is very good indeed. Those who want the absolute best Mazda can produce will not be disappointed.
