Mazda is serious about bringing attention to its plug-in hybrid SUVs. And in 2026, it’s reworking the CX-70 PHEV lineup to introduce new SC and SC Plus trims, instead of last year’s Premium and Premium Plus models.
Crucially, the company has effectively lowered the price of entry with this rework by about $10,000, and that’s quite significant when viewing the CX-70 alongside premium plug-in hybrids like the BMW X5 xDrive50e. The CX-70 certainly isn’t just an X5 for less money, but still, Mazda is giving people plenty to think about during any such comparison.
Mazda Cut Roughly $10,000 From The CX-70 PHEV
2026 Mazda CX-70 PHEV sideMazda
In 2025, Mazda offered its CX-70 PHEV in just two forms – the Premium, which started at $54,400, and the Premium Plus at $57,450 (both prices before destination). In 2026, Mazda retired those names and began offering the new PHEV SC, starting at $44,450, and the SC Plus at $47,450. This made the entry model $9,950 cheaper than the previous PHEV Premium and the SC Plus exactly $10,000 lower than the old Premium Plus.
Notably, that’s a price reduction of almost 18% at the bottom of the PHEV range, and such an adjustment moved the CX-70 into very different marketing territory. After all, even the best-equipped SC Plus now goes on sale below the psychologically important $50,000 barrier.
At the time of writing, Mazda is even offering customers an additional sweetener in the form of $5,000 cash back on new 2026 CX-70 PHEVs. That applies to participating dealer inventory and comes in lieu of Mazda Financial Services’ special finance offers. And while that cash-back offer may be temporary, it does make an already aggressively priced PHEV look considerably more appealing again.
The BMW X5 PHEV Costs Nearly $30,000 More
2025 BMW X5 PHEV CHARGINGBMW
A new CX-70 PHEV is an interesting choice in any cross-shopping comparison with BMW’s own plug-in hybrid. Here, the 2026 X5 xDrive50e starts at $76,000, and compared to the CX-70 PHEV SC Plus, that’s a $28,550 difference. With the SC, the gap widens to $31,550, and that’s a huge chasm. After all, those who choose even the most generously equipped Mazda still have enough money left in their pocket to buy a new mainstream compact crossover.
The numbers also make Mazda’s value repositioning far more than a model-year price adjustment. The company has taken a plug-in SUV that was once in the mid-$50,000 range and put it within reach of buyers who might otherwise be shopping for conventional near-premium mainstream SUVs.
The Mazda still comes with a longitudinal engine platform, standard rear-biased iActive AWD, and an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is already a quite ambitious engineering layout for a vehicle at this price point. Mazda quotes 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque from its 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline four with electric motor and battery system. The vehicle offers 61 MPGe with up to 32 miles of electric-only driving, and the CX-70 PHEV can also tow up to 3,500 lbs. with proper equipment.
BMW Offers 160 More Horsepower, But For More Money
2026 BMW X5 plug in hybrid phevBMW
Significant price differences aside, it’s important to recognize what the BMW actually delivers. It may cost much more, but the first reason for that extra price becomes obvious when drivers press the accelerator. After all, the X5 xDrive50e has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six with an electric motor producing 483 hp and 516 lb-ft of system torque. That gives it 160 hp and 147 lb-ft more than the Mazda, and the BMW can reach 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
BMW has also covered the electrical side of the equation more convincingly. This X5 can offer up to 38 miles of battery-only range, six miles more than the Mazda’s current 32-mile figure. BMW also suggests a Level 2 AC charge can take the battery from 0% to 100% in about two hours.
The X5 sits firmly in the luxury segment, with plenty of enticing equipment. Depending on specification, buyers can find soft Merino leather, glass controls, premium audio, and a panoramic sky lounge roof. There are also plenty of other customization possibilities to take into account, to say nothing of BMW’s prowess when it comes to chassis calibration and cabin execution.
So, it’s certainly not fair to say that the CX-70 is some kind of X5 xDrive50e equivalent for almost $30k less. But Mazda has nevertheless done something more useful. It has produced a plug-in SUV with plenty of power, equipment, and premium intent, so that shoppers may question whether they need to move up to the established luxury badge at all.
There’s A Catch Behind Mazda’s $10,000 Saving
2026 Mazda CX-70 PHEV interior frontMazda
A $10,000 reduction between Mazda’s 2025 model and its 2026 refresh may seem particularly attractive, but it’s important to compare those two vehicles carefully. After all, the 2025 PHEV Premium came standard with 21-inch wheels, a power panoramic sunroof, Bose 12-speaker audio, wireless phone charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay. It also had leather upholstery, heated front seats, a head-up active driving display, a retractable rear sunshade, and a 1,500 W cargo area power outlet. The Premium Plus was even more generous, with Nappa leather, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 360° camera.
Mazda has taken a deliberately simpler approach with the newer SC. This vehicle now rides on 19-inch wheels instead of 21-inch wheels, and it comes with leatherette upholstery. It has an eight-speaker audio system and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It still comes with a 12.3-inch center display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, a power driver seat, and a broad collection of driver assistance systems. But while the vehicle is not badly equipped by any stretch, it clearly has a lower-content specification that helps bring the PHEV’s entry price down.
The SC Plus may be the more meaningful version for anyone who is actively cross-shopping. For $3,000 more, buyers will get leather upholstery, driver’s seat memory, and an eight-way power passenger seat. They’ll also get heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, active driving display, rear sunshades, and front and rear parking sensors. But that equipment list still isn’t as generous as the former Premium Plus bundle, so part of the cash savings comes from restructuring what’s available.
A Completely New BMW X5 Is Already On The Way
2027 BMW X5 front fascia view parkedBMW
BMW isn’t standing still when it comes to its own revisions and upgrades, and the current-generation X5 is, in any case, approaching retirement. BMW has unveiled the fifth-generation X5, with rollout commencing in the fall of 2026. The X5 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid will follow early in 2027 and is expected to go on sale for $77,500 before destination.
Once again, compared to today’s CX-70 PHEV SC Plus, there’s still an almost $30,000 price difference. But BMW is nevertheless advancing the X5 theme with this new vehicle. The new 50e will retain 483 hp, 516 lb-ft, and a claimed 0 to 60 mph time of 4.6 seconds, and BMW now expects the SUV to deliver up to 44 miles of electric range from its 26.5 kWh usable battery. So, it’s increasingly hard to describe these two SUVs as direct substitutes.
BMW is preparing to replace its current X5 with a more advanced luxury SUV, but Mazda has taken the opposite commercial route, making its existing plug-in formula much easier to afford. That said, it’s still a bit of a stretch to directly compare a $49,000 Mazda with an almost $79,000 BMW. The X5 xDrive50e is already quicker, more powerful, more luxurious, and can travel farther on electricity. And it also has a BMW badge, which comes with its own intangible benefits.
Meanwhile, the CX-70 PHEV SC Plus still gets a buyer 323 hp, standard AWD, some useful EV range, and a properly equipped cabin. And it also leaves more than $28,000 in the buyer’s pocket when compared to the BMW.
With its $10,000 model-year repositioning, Mazda may not have intended to create a cut-price BMW X5. But inadvertently, it did create a potentially more troublesome situation for its German competitor. After all, it may just have given some buyers a reason to question their BMW aspirations and take a much closer look at their budget.
Sources: BMW, Mazda.
