It’s been a long wait for Mazda’s new three-row SUV with a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain – the company’s second electrified vehicle. Mazda has already paid millions of dollars in penalties to the provincial governments of Quebec and British Columbia for not selling enough EVs as a proportion of its overall sales, and many millions more to other scolding governments around the world.
The configuration works best if the third row is folded flat, to provide reasonable cargo space, but wasted if the seats are rarely used. At least there’s room for a temporary spare tire under the floor of the cargo area. Mazda also claims the CX-90 PHEV is good for 323 horsepower if you use premium fuel, but you can use regular fuel if you don’t mind sacrificing some power. Because the loss in oomph is marginal when you use regular gas – just four horsepower – and premium fuel costs considerably more, I doubt any owner will ever use anything but regular.