OK, so we admit that the reveal of a family-oriented SUV wouldn’t normally be a significant blip on our automotive radar.
…But when we heard that Mazda’s packing its new CX-90 crossover with an available turbocharged inline(!) six—well, our ears understandably perked up.
Here’s a good refresher 101 on turbos if you’re interested: Examining the Fundamentals of Turbocharging
First, the car: It’s a three-row SUV from Mazda. AWD comes standard and there’s plug-in a hybrid drivetrain available along with that aforementioned turbo six.
While exact specs on the vehicle itself were scant, promo video footage shows it pulling a relatively large Airstream-style camper, so we imagine it’ll have pretty stout payload/towing numbers.
Alright Enough About That, Let’s Talk Engines
Mazda’s the “Zoom-Zoom” company after all, so we were excited to get some juicy details on this new 3.3L turbo six powerplant.
For starters, the engine’s official name is “e-Skyactiv G 3.3L Inline 6 Turbo” and it’s billed as “the highest horsepower and torque from a mass production gasoline engine” that Mazda has ever designed and built in house.
Into Mazdas? You may appreciate this: Lot Shots Find of the Week: First-Gen Mazda RX-7
Though we didn’t get any pretty engine pictures in the press release, Mazda wasn’t shy about giving us some hard numbers: 340 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque on premium fuel.
It’s also got a mild hybrid capability where the engine is coupled to a small electric motor to improve acceleration. Mazda also says the six’s small electric motor completely takes over the propulsion when the CX-90 is at low speeds too.
An Available Plug-in Hybrid with a 2.5L Four
In addition to that turbocharged I6, there’s a more formal plug-in hybrid option on the CX-90 as well—the “e-Skyactiv PHEV powertrain” to be exact. It couples Mazda’s current 2.5L four cylinder engine to an electric motor to produce 323 horsepower. Torque remains at a tidy 369 lb.-ft.
It’s also worth noting that Mazda had to develop an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission to work with the longitudinal layout of the new inline six.
When it hits dealer lots, the new turbo I6 (and the CX-90 wrapped around it) will go on sale as a 2024 model.
I wonder if the Turbo inclined six is going to be still prompt to carbon build up on the intake valves or they got smarter like in the new Toyotas they put port and direct injectors?Just curious!
Are any mazda inline 6’s at dealers yet?
Yeah–I actually saw one at a display at a car show a few months ago, so they’re out in the wild–in my market (Ohio) at least.