2025 Mazda CX-70 family review: A stylish, spacious 5 seater SUV for families who want it all

The 2025 Mazda CX-70 is a premium family SUV that blends spacious practicality with impressive performance and sophisticated design. Offering generous cabin space, advanced technology, and the choice of petrol or diesel mild-hybrid powertrains, the CX-70 steps confidently into the competitive large SUV market.

Rivalling models like the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Kia Sorento, let’s find out if the Mazda CX-70 deserves a place on your family car shortlist.

Mazda CX-70 Pros & Cons: What You Should Know Before Buying

Pros:

• Spacious boot and luxurious interior - looks very sleek and high-end for a family SUV.

• Powerful, engine - which offers grunt on the freeways... especially in Sport mode. Quiet cabin and smooth ride.

• A full safety suite - including lane assist, reversing camera and parking sensors and blind spot monitoring

• Variety of standard features - comes standard with heated steering wheel and seats for the first and second row.

• Small children friendly - Two rear facing and one front facing child seat fit comfortably, with plenty of legroom for the front seats. The vehicle’s height made it easy to get children in and out.

Cons:

• Large size can be difficult in tight spaces - despite having the front and rear parking sensors and camera the CX-70 is the size of a seven seater.

• Had brief tech issues with Apple CarPlay - was glitchy to initially set up but worked fine once connected.

• Heavy steering feel particularly at low speeds

Mazda CX-70 price guide – How much does the 2025 Mazda CX-70 cost?

The Mazda CX-70 is available in two trim levels and two engine options, pricing as follows

• G50e GT: From $77,215 before on-road costs (as tested)

• D50e GT: From $79,215 before on-road costs

• G50e Azami: From $85,309 before on-road costs

• D50e Azami: From $87,909 before on-road costs

(Exact driveway pricing will vary depending on location and registration type; check with Mazda Australia or your local dealership for up-to-date costs.)

Want to save money? Baby and Car uses a trusted network of dealerships Australia-wide to find you the best price for your next brand new car. With tailored Australian-based support, it’s free to get a quote. Find out more here.

Mazda CX-70 engine options: Petrol or Diesel?

The 2025 Mazda CX-70 offers three engine choices:

• 3.3L in-line 6 cylinder hybrid turbo petrol: 254kW of power & 500Nm of torque.

• 3.3L in-line 6 cylinder hybrid turbo diesel: 187kW of power & 550Nm of torque.

The petrol and diesel variants come with an 8-speed automatic transmission and Mazda’s engine stop/start functionality designed to turn the engine off while you’re temporarily stopped at traffic lights, traffic etc.

This was the first time I’ve driven Mazda’s 3.3L e-Skyactiv G turbo petrol engine, and I was really impressed. It’s a big car, but it’s got some go. In Sport Mode I was honestly surprised by how much power it had (not Porsche Cayenne Turbo fast, but for a family SUV). It was more than enough to make driving fun, not to mention it sounded pretty good too.

If you’re coming from a smaller SUV or hatch, you’ll feel the difference. The higher driving position gives you a better view of the road, and the extra weight actually makes it feel more planted and stable at higher speeds in my opinion.

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Is the Mazda CX-70 fuel-efficient? Petrol vs Diesel

Fuel consumption figures vary across the two powertrains:

• Hybrid Petrol: 8.1L/100km (combined), 10.3L/100km (urban)

• Hybrid Diesel: 5.4L/100km (combined), 5.8L/100km (urban)

The diesel offers the best fuel economy, especially for families who drive frequently in city traffic.

If I was able to achieve the claimed combined fuel economy, it’s fairly impressive for such a big engine and heavy car, however during the week long loan I was getting around 10.6L/100km, which was expected from a car this big.  

My driving consisted mostly of urban trips running errands with my baby. Things like grocery runs, appointments, and general day-to-day outings.

I noticed it consumed more fuel during stop/start urban drives, but it was much more efficient on longer drives when cruising on the freeway. This worth keeping in mind, depending on where you usually drive, also mentioning the petrol takes 95 RON or higher.

Maxi Cosi Pria LX car seat shown

Mazda CX-70 Interior & Space: How practical is it for families?

It ticks so many boxes when it comes to day-to-day parenting life. The second row was super roomy. I fit two rear-facing car seats comfortably and still had space for my driving position without compromising. For someone my height (I am 5’’6), the legroom in both the front and second row is excellent.

The ride height is a good balance, it’s elevated from the ground enough to oversee your surroundings very comfortably, but not so high that it’s a struggle to get your children in and out.

Storage-wise, there’s got decent storage in the doors, although the cupholders were a bit tight for my massive 2-litre drink bottle, however they did fit a 600ml and 1L drink bottle just fine.The heated steering wheel was one of those nice-to-have features I didn’t know I needed until I had to give it back.

Editors note:

The Mazda CX-70 is based on the larger 7-seat CX-90. The CX-70 a five door, five seater. It has 10 cup holders, four USB-C ports (2 in the centre console and 2 in the second row) as well as two 12V sockets and a 150W AC socket - the latter located in the boot. There is also a wireless phone charger in the front.

The second row has three top tether points and two ISOFIX points - the latter located only on the outboard two seats. The top tether points are located on the second row seat backs and are easy to reach. It’s also worth mentioning all models some standard with built-in sunshades for the second row windows. A key selling feature for Mazda SUVs is their 90-degree second row door opening which gives parents plenty of room to get children in and out of their seats.

There is a hands-free remote operated tailgate for open and close, as well as key-less entry that will unlock or lock the car depending on your proximity. The vehicle also has Mazda Connected Services which is an app that allows you to remote lock, check your vehicle status (tyre pressure, fuel etc), stolen vehicle assistance as well as a vehicle locator for when you forget where you parked the car. You can also send navigation directions directly to the in-built navigation system.

The boot space is larger than its Audi Q5, Genesis GV70 and Jaguar F-Pace competitors measuring 598L including the underfloor storage space which makes way for a tyre repair kit.

Maxi Cosi Oxford Stroller shown

Mazda CX-70 Boot Space & Storage: How much can it fit?

• With 5 seats up: 598L (VDA method) of cargo space

• With second row folded: Expands to 2015L (VDA method) of cargo space

The CX-70 boot is designed to fit a pram with ease, along with multiple grocery bags and travel essentials. The hands-free power tailgate is standard across the range.

The boot is huge. I had one pram in there, then decided I wanted to use a different pram, so I ended up fitting: two prams, a nappy bag, a backpack, 6 shopping bags and still had room to spare. I was actually blown away. If boot space is high on your priority list, the CX-70  is hard to fault. Also, the hands-free remote tailgate is always a win and a must for a family, in my opinion.

Editors note:

The Mazda CX-70 boot lip is a comfortable height for adding items into the boot. While we’ve seen higher boot lip heights, we found the CX-70 to be easy enough to put lift and pull out prams and shopping bags.

Mazda CX-70 Safety Features: Is it a safe family car?

The Mazda CX-70 comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features across all trim levels. Below is a breakdown of safety features which are standard across the range:

• 360° View Monitor

• Front & Rear Parking Sensors

• Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH)

• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) with Vehicle Exit Warning

• Driver Attention Alert (DAA) and Driver Monitoring

• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)

• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) with Smart Brake Support (SBS)

  • Front with pedestrian and cyclist detection

  • Rear (SBS-R)

  • Rear Crossing (SBS-RC)

  • Turn-across Traffic

• Emergency Lane Keeping with Road Keep Assist and Blind Spot Assist

• Lane-keep Assist System (LAS)

• Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)

• Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)

• Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW)

• Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA & RCTA)

• Hill Descent Control (HDC)

• Hill Launch Assist (HLA)

• Two ISOFIX child seat anchors

• Three Top tether points

• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Azami Trim Additional Safety Features:

• Cruising & Traffic Support (CTS) (Azami only)

• 360° View Monitor (with available See-Through View on Azami)

The Mazda CX-70 and CX-90 are yet to be ANCAP tested at the time of writing this review.

Mazda’s safety tech was impressive and, more importantly, intuitive to use.  The Lane -keep assist, blind spot monitoring and forward collision warnings all worked smoothly without being overbearing or constantly beeping at me like some other systems I’ve experienced. .The cameras were decent quality... however not the crispest I’ve ever seen. It’s worth mentioning all models have a wide-angle camera which was clear-enough quality to make reverse parking feel manageable, despite its size.

Mazda CX-70 vs Genesis GV70 vs Audi Q5: Which one is best?

• Best for Fuel Efficiency: Audi SQ5 TDI (7.1L/100km)

• Best for Cargo Space: Mazda CX-70 (598L)

• Best for Luxury & Comfort: Genesis GV70 (Additional luxury inclusions)

• Best for Towing: Mazda CX-70 (2,500kg braked)

Read our Genesis GV70 review and our other reviews here.

Mazda CX-70 Towing Capacity Australia: Can it handle a caravan?

• Petrol & Diesel: 2,500kg braked or 750kg unbraked.

Editors note:

While we didn’t get a chance to test out its towing capabilities, we are impressed that it has a stronger towing capacity than the Audi Q5 (2000kgs) and Genesis GV70 (2000kgs).

Should You Buy the Mazda CX-70 in 2025? Final Verdict

This was one of my first official car reviews with Baby and Car, and what a way to kick it off.

The Mazda CX-70 honestly impressed me in all the best ways. It feels luxurious, spacious, and genuinely enjoyable to drive… despite being one of the largest 5-seater SUVs in Australia.

I want to admit however, I had a bit of a hiccup getting Apple CarPlay connected initially, and even after troubleshooting, it was a bit finicky during the first connection. However, once it was up and running, it worked seamlessly for the rest of the week. I'm unsure what exactly happened there and whether or not it was specific to the car I was driving, but if Mazda can iron that connection issue out, the system would be pretty much perfect.

For families with less than four children who need space, comfort, and a bit of grown-up luxury, this is a standout. Would I recommend it to a friend? Absolutely.

Just keep in mind, it’s a big car. If you’re not used to driving larger SUVs, things like tight parking spots or low-speed manoeuvring may take some adjusting. The steering also leans on the heavier side than what’s i’d like at slower speeds, and Apple CarPlay was a bit glitchy to set up.

Want to save money? Baby and Car uses a trusted network of dealerships Australia-wide to find you the best price for your next brand new car. With tailored Australian-based support, it’s free to get a quote. Find out more here.

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