Mazda Australia has paused plans to introduce plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variations of its CX-70 and CX-90 massive SUVs to give attention to upcoming hybrid and electrical fashions.
Talking with CarExpert on the launch of the four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive CX-60 G25 mid-size SUV vary, Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi indicated the enterprise case to import the massive PHEVs not labored following the tip of the federal authorities’s Fringe Advantages Tax (FBT) exemption for PHEVs.
“The know-how is offered within the US, and what’s required is engineering effort to adjust to ADRs (Australian Design Guidelines). It’s potential, however we’ve determined to place a pause on it,” Mr Bhindi stated.
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“We provide plug-in (hybrid powertrains) for CX-60 and CX-80and what we’ve seen is PHEV was interesting to shoppers when there was the FBT write-offs, and since then the will to embrace that know-how has mainly come off. We’ve acquired CX-60 and CX-80 (PHEVs) to cowl that already.
“We’ve determined CX-70 and CX-90 (PHEV) can maintain whereas our engineering assets work on future battery-electric R&D work. It doesn’t meant we are able to’t convey that again on the desk, however for proper now I can say we’ve put a maintain on it,” Mr Bhindi added.
The CX-70 and CX-90 PHEVs provided in North America incorporate a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 141kW of energy and 260Nm of torque, mated with a 129kW/270Nm electrical motor and a 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery for whole outputs of 241kW and 500Nm.
Mazda USA quotes 26 miles (41.8km) of EV driving vary for the CX-70 PHEV, which is sort of a bit lower than the “as much as 76km” claimed by the Mazda CX-60 PHEV in Australia.

The CX-70 and CX-90 are fairly area of interest choices inside the Mazda secure, contributing fewer than a mixed 800 gross sales thus far this 12 months to September.
Simply 547 CX-90s and 279 CX-70s have been registered Down Underneath in 2025, which can even have contributed to Mazda Australia’s choice to not put money into bringing the PHEV variations right here. By comparability, 4067 CX-60s and 2963 CX-80s have been registered to September 30 this 12 months.