Mazda's Turbo Inline-Six Will Get More Powerful

On a recent episode of The AutoGuide Show brought to you by Ebay Motors, we sat down with Jon Leverett, project manager for launch strategy at Mazda USA. The topic of discussion was the brand’s newest product, the upcoming CX-70 SUV.

During our chat, our conversation inevitably turned to that of vehicle performance – something Mazda has always strived for. Specifically, we talked about the new 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six mild hybrid that debuted in the Mazda CX-90 last year.

In the CX-90, the engine currently makes 280 hp in the low tune, or 340 hp in the high tune. Although no official numbers have been released, Leverett did confirm the CX-70 would have to states of tune for the turbo inline-six engine.

Later, he dropped this intriguing tidbit “…in performance, these inline-6 engines, this is obviously a first for us. This is just the first step with it. Expect more to come in terms of performance. We want to grow that threshold.” Leverett continued later, “In terms of performance, we want to push those thresholds further.”

What that exactly means we’ll have to wait and see, but obviously it means more power. Other manufacturers with slightly smaller turbocharged inline sixes are producing more power, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis.

Of course, this has our fuel-filled veins pumping at the thoughts of a 400+ hp CX-70 down the road. Or, if we’re really dreaming, imagining a Mazda sedan or wagon going head-to-head with the BMW M340i.

This is all pure speculation of course, and we won’t know what Mazda has in store for years to come. But we’ll be paying close attention.

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