Plug-in hybrid versions of the 2024 Mazda CX-90 three-row crossover SUV have received the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
To earn a spot on the Top Safety Pick+ list, a vehicle must earn top “Good” scores in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, original moderate overlap front crash tests (a high score on the updated moderate overlap front test isn’t required for 2023), and updated side crash test.
In addition to crash tests, headlights rated “Acceptable” or “Good” must be standard on all trim levels, and front-crash prevention systems must achieve a top “Superior” or second-tier “Advanced” rating in daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian collision-avoidance testing.
2024 Mazda CX-90
A handful of other plug-in hybrids, including the Toyota Prius Prime, Lexus NX 450h, and Volvo XC90 Recharge, also made the Top Safety Pick+ list this year. The list also includes the all-electric Rivian R1T, Subaru Solterra, Tesla Model Y, and Volkswagen ID.4, among others.
The CX-90 received “Good” scores in all crash tests conducted, “Superior” scores for both daytime and nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian collision avoidance, and an “Acceptable” score for headlights. These results are from tests of a gasoline model, but the IIHS carried them over to the plug-in hybrid. That’s usually the case for hybrids, but not always the case for plug-in hybrids. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, for instance, also makes the Top Safety Pick+ list, but the Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid isn’t called out as carrying over those same results.
2024 Mazda CX-90
The CX-90 plug-in hybrid was due to arrive earlier this spring and boasts seating for up to eight. It uses a 2.5-liter inline-4 and 8-speed automatic transmission, with an electric motor sandwiched in between and a 17.8-kwh battery pack. Total system output is 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. EPA electric-range ratings have not been released.
Potential rivals to the Mazda include the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, which was named a Top Safety Pick without the “+”, and the Kia Sorento PHEV. Both offer three rows of seats.
With the MX-30 EV now discontinued, the CX-90 plug-in hybrid now likely has a more certain future for the U.S. market as Mazda’s only plug-in model.