The SUV market is one of thehardest-foughtin all the automotive kingdom, primarily because it’s the arena where manufacturers will find the most profit. The practicality, versatility, and driving experience they offer make them ideal alternatives to smaller sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons, ensuring they’re an excellent choice for families who would rather not have to shoehorn their belongings and children into a vehicle any time they want to go anywhere.
Beyond this, it’s always nice to have a bit of refinement on long trips. The likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz have always been ahead of the curve in this respect, though both, alongside most of the motoring industry, have moved toward reducing emissions and boosting fuel economy. As a result, you now have to pay a premium to secure a decent-sized SUV from these brands with anything more than a four-cylinder powerplant. Rather than follow a similar pattern, Mazda elected to seize an opportunity to do something different.
Mazda Is Keeping The Affordable Six-Cylinder SUV Alive
2026 Mazda CX-70 front 3/4 angle in black while drivingMazda
2026 Mazda CX-70
Engine
3.3L turbocharged I6
Transmission
8-Speed Auto
Power
280-340 hp
Torque
332-369 lb-ft
0-60 mph
6.3-7.0 seconds
Base MSRP
$42,250
For a long time, Mazda existed in a strange void where it tried to sell budget-focused cars by ensuring they looked stylish inside and out. In recent years, the Japanese manufacturer has pivoted toward offering cars on the premium side of the market, resurrecting an approach it dabbled with as it tried to make it big in the US back in the 1990s. It felt that by offering cars that could be mentioned in the same breath as those produced by the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but for less money, it could secure the title of people’s champion.
!!!MODEL TAG!!! Listing Carousel CX-70
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The handsome styling the brand cooks up via its Kodo design language, which combines flowing lines with muscular touches, is a key element of this approach. Beyond this, Mazda has worked hard to reinvigorate its engine lineup so it can market itself as a proper luxury marque, and its 3.3-liter inline-six is a great example of this.
Larger Engines Allow For A More Refined Experience
2024 Mazda CX-90 Inline Six EngineMazda
When building a luxury car, getting the engine right is a key element of achieving a successful package. Essentially, the more cylinders an engine has, the smoother it’ll be. As a result of more cylinders firing, there is greater overlap between power strokes, which means there is a smaller gap between the combustion events in the engine. This means the engine has to work less hard to produce the power it needs to move the vehicle, delivering more torque at lower revs and reducing the need to push the engine harder to gather speed.
In addition, the smaller gap between power strokes reduces vibration, notably enhancing refinement. While these larger engines are less fuel-efficient due to their greater fuel consumption, the extra refinement is welcome in a car that is generally more expensive in the first place, so their owners will likely prioritize smoothness over saving money at the gas station. If Mazda wanted to take the fight to its established German rivals, having a six-cylinder engine in its range was a critical step it needed to take.
Mazda’s Six-Pot Powerplant Plays An Important Role In The CX-70
2025 Mazda CX-70 Gray Front Angled ViewIan Wright / CarBuzz / Valnet
Having produced only four-cylinder engines for over a decade, Mazda’s Skyactiv-G 3.3 was introduced in 2022 for its CX-60 SUV, before later reaching the rest of its SUV range over the following couple of years. Notably, it found itself under the hood of its full-size CX-70 crossover SUV in 2024, where it helped to make Mazda’s dreams of fighting the Germans come true. Since it didn’t have a sustained image of offering luxury cars, Mazda elected to try to get close to these brands in terms of refinement, while offering its models for significantly less money.
The CX-70 perfectly illustrates this approach, with its six-cylinder engine dwarfing the four-pot engines used by the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz at the circa-$40,000 area of the market. The base turbocharged 3.3-liter unit found in the entry-level CX-70 variants produces 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, which is easily enough to get the roomy crossover moving with ease. If you have a little more budget available, Mazda offers an S version of the CX-70. This features a tuned version of the engine that produces 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, achieved by running the turbocharger at a higher boost level.
Its Similarly-Priced Rivals Can’t Match The Mazda’s Firepower
An action shot of the 2025 BMW X1 M35i on a mountain road BMW
The beauty of the entry-level CX-70 Preferred is that it costs about the same as an entry-level BMW X1 xDrive 28i and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4MATIC. Both of these vehicles are smaller than the CX-70, seeing as they’re classed as subcompact crossovers, and they are also only available with turbocharged four-cylinder engines. Aside from having less power at their disposal — 241 hp and 221 hp, respectively — they also have to work harder to produce that power, ensuring the powerplants are less refined than the six-cylinder found in the Mazda. All three machines get an automatic transmission as standard, which shares the engine’s might between all four wheels.
Model
2026 BMW X1 xDrive 28i
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250
Engine
2.0L turbocharged I4
2.0L turbocharged I4
Power
241 hp
221 hp
Torque
295 lb-ft
258 lb-ft
0-60 mph
5.4 seconds
6.6 seconds
Base MSRP
$42,800
$42,200
They are more fuel-efficient by three or four mpg, but the CX-70 stands out as the more luxury-focused option at this price point. It’s well-equipped for the money, but its slicker and more refined six-pot powerplant is a level above the busy little four-cylinders found in the competition.
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The CX-70 Is Well-Priced Compared To Its Rivals
2025 Mazda CX-70 Premium Plus Gold Side AngleMazda
Despite being classed as a full-size crossover, the CX-70 battles BMW and Merc’s subcompact and compact steeds in terms of value. The entry-level Preferred starts from $42,250, which is practically identical to the base AWD variants of the X1 and GLA. Aside from bringing more power, engine refinement, and space to the equation, the CX-70 is also much better equipped than the subcompact Germans. You get heated and ventilated leather power seats as standard, as well as a sunroof and a heated leather steering wheel. All of these are available only as options on the German models, as is adaptive cruise control, which is included as standard with the CX-70.
The more powerful S variants of the Mazda start from $53,240, putting it on level ground with the larger compact X3 and GLC models. Once again, the BMW and Mercedes vehicles are only offered with smaller four-cylinder engines, which produce 85 hp less than the 340-hp CX-70 Premium S. Plus, the higher-end version of the CX-70 gets sumptuous Nappa leather seats, as well as satellite navigation and a useful heads-up display.
The CX-70’s positioning as a sub-$50K six-cylinder luxury-oriented SUV ultimately puts it in a league of its own, since the most affordable six-cylinder BMW SUV available is the X3 M50, which starts at $65K. As for Mercedes, stepping up to a six-cylinder SUV means buying a GLE 450, which starts at a little over $72,000. And they’re still less well-equipped than the base Mazda CX-70.
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Mazda’s Bold Strategy Could Set It On A Path To Join The Big Boys
2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus Black/Red Interior Front CabinMazda
While risky in a world where reducing emissions and boosting fuel economy is such a priority, Mazda’s push for refinement over efficiency is a bold choice. The extra smoothness offered by the CX-70’s engine, as well as the space and standard equipment it provides compared to the SUVs BMW and Mercedes can offer, make it a luxury SUV that represents strong value. Once upon a time, BMW and Mercedes offered a range of vehicles with smooth six-pot engines for less than $50k, which allowed them to sustain spots as big players in the affordable premium luxury market. Mazda now has that slice of the market all to itself, since the V6-powered Honda Pilot doesn’t compete in the premium luxury arena.
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Mazda is hoping it can do the same with its SUV range, with enough buyers turning their noses up at the four-cylinder rivals and opting for the six-cylinder CX-70 instead to secure greater refinement. Its plan looks even more inspired given that other manufacturers are starting to listen to consumers and bring back larger engines, as illustrated by Stellantis’ push toward the Hemi V8 and Mercedes’ pivot toward V8s after a period of pushing its four-cylinder engine technology at the higher end of its product portfolio.
If it gets it right, Mazda could end up well ahead of the curve and win over buyers who long for a proper six-cylinder luxury model, just as it used to be. With enough success, Mazda could build enough of a reputation to start taking on the Germans on a level playing field by offering higher-end and more expensive vehicles. The automotive landscape is going through a huge shift right now, and Mazda is seizing the chance to reinvent itself. The six-cylinder CX-70 is a crucial piece of this puzzle, and if it fits, the Germans could soon have a formidable rival to contend with.
Sources: BMW, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz.
