Winnipeg Free Press

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Now, I’m not saying it was my reporting that did it, but there’s been a clear shift in how well the company’s latest hybrid, the CX-70, responds to accelerator input since myself and plenty of other journalists sharply criticized how the CX-90, in both mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid form, han- dled transitions between deceleration and acceleration. You’d come out of a turn and ease into the accelerator pedal and … wait. The transmission would go, “Oh, no. He wants to go … we better find the right gear,” and a second later you’d start to feel motion again. It was a clear “Has Mazda lost its way?” moment. The company that had built a good bit of its fun-to-drive identity on trans- missions — even automatic ones — that were responsive and quick-shifting had seemingly taken a left turn. A second or less waiting for the vehicle to figure out it needs to go may not sound like much, but it adds up to a lifetime of regret, since you feel it every time you come out of a corner. Imagine my surprise, then, when the new CX-70, a mild hybrid like the non- plug-in CX-90, exhibited none of that. Mazda took the feedback — from journalists, customers, perhaps even its own engineers — to heart, accord- ing to Mazda Canada spokesman Chuck Reimer. The resulting repro- gramming of the hybrid powertrain is a sea change in how the vehicle responds. The same programming changes have been baked into the CX- 90 models, as well, he said. It’s not oversimplifying things to say the CX-70 is little more than a CX-90 without a third row. Even Reimer admits that. It is, however, a chance to speak to a different kind of customer and sports some subtle styling differ- ences, he said. The main difference is that the car- go space in the CX-70 is massive. Mazda doesn’t provide a volume, but using the length, width and height of the cargo space, and converting the resulting 1.1 billion cubic millimetres to litres, the CX-70 rivals even a GMC Yukon XL. It’s close to the space inside the CX-90 with the third row folded. The styling inside and out represents the attention to detail that drives Maz- da’s reputation, a reputation built on confirming design decisions in clay, a step some other manufacturers skip. It’s also incredibly fuel-efficient, averaging 8.4 L per 100 kilometres, which is excellent for a vehicle this large. Not all was great, however. I’m accustomed to bringing a good portion of the gravel road that leads to the cottage home with me, but it’s almost always on the outside of the car. When I returned home, part of that road was in the rear footwell. Reimer said Maz- da’s quality control department has already received enough complaints of dust leaking into the interior that work is underway to resolve it. Given the relative speed with which they fixed the hybrid’s transition to acceleration, the fix may be on the assembly line already. The CX-70 is also available as a plug- in hybrid, which for most people might be the ultimate choice for electrifica- tion the way things stand now. For dai- ly commuting, there’s a good chance you’d drive entirely on electric, but for road trips, you’d be free of worrying about charging locations. Of course, a consideration may also be this: as electrification technology and infrastructure improve and the need to lug both a combined gas and electric powertrain around diminishes, resale value could be an issue. In an all-electric future, gas vehicles may be at a premium among the nostalgic, but resale values of gas-electric vehicles might crater. The CX-70’s starting price less than $50,000 is competitive in its class, but is about $4,000 more than the three- row CX-90. kelly.taylor@winnipegfreepress.com KELLY TAYLOR The specs SUPPLIED The 2025 Mazda CX-70 is a two-row version of the CX-90 three-row SUV. SUPPLIED Since the 2018 CX-5, Mazda interiors have been first-rate. Engine: inline-6 turbo with mild hybrid assist Power: 280 hp @ 5,000-6,000 r.p.m.; 340 hp @ 5,000-6,000 r.p.m. (GT-P) Torque: 332 lb-ft. @ 2,000-3,500 r.p.m.; 369 lb-ft @ 2,000-4,500 r.p.m. (GT-P) Transmission: eight-speed automatic Steering: engine speed variable power assist rack and pinion Suspension: independent double-wish- bone with stabilizer bar (front); independent multi-link with coil springs, stabilizer bar (rear) Fuel economy (l/100 km, city/highway): 9.9/8.4 Price: $49,750, base MSRP Competitors: Toyota Highlander, GMC Aca- dia, Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent, Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Explorer Toyota’s truck division Hino to pay US$1.6B as part of emissions scandal A TOYOTA division that manufactures trucks will pay more than US$1.6 bil- lion and plead guilty to violations re- lated to the submission of false and fraudulent engine emission testing and fuel consumption data to regulators and the illicit smuggling of engines into the United States. Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota, first acknowledged in 2022 it has sys- tematically falsified emissions data dating back as far as 2003. That was part of a broader scandal involving emissions tests that ensnared other automakers as well. The Justice Department said Hino’s unlawful conduct allowed it to im- properly secure approvals to import and sell, and cause to be imported and sold, more than 110,000 diesel en- gines in the U.S. from 2010 to 2022. The engines were primarily installed in heavy-duty trucks made and sold by Hino nationwide. “Hino knew the requirements that engines must meet to be certified to operate in the United States, yet it falsi- fied data for years to skirt regulations,” assistant attorney general Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division said in a prepared statement. “Hino’s actions led to vast amounts of excess air pollution and were an egregious violation of our nation’s en- vironmental, consumer protection and import laws.” Hino Motors Ltd. has agreed to plead guilty to engaging in a multi-year crim- inal conspiracy. The plea agreement, which is subject to court approval, re- quires the company to pay a criminal fine of US$521.76 million, serve a five- year term of probation — during which it will be prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has made into the U.S. — and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and re- porting structure. Hino has also agreed to a forfeit- ure money judgment against it in the amount of approximately US$1.1 billion. As part of the plea deal, Hino’s future payments towards its civil settlement obligations, as well as future payments as part of a civil class-action settlement brought by private plaintiffs, will be credited towards its criminal forfeiture money judgment obligation. The Justice Department, Environ- mental Protection Agency, FBI, Cus- toms and Border Protection, Depart- ment of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and State of California reached crimin- al and multiple civil resolutions with Japanese Hino, which are subject to ap- proval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. In separate civil resolutions of en- vironmental, customs and fuel econ- omy claims by the federal government and the State of California, Hino will pay a civil penalty of US$525 million. Hino, as part of its plea agreement, admitted to submitting and causing to be submitted false applications for en- gine certification approvals between 2010 and 2019. The company also ad- mitted it submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data. Hino said in a statement Thursday its agreements resolve all of the com- pany’s outstanding legal issues in the U.S. related to its legacy emissions issues. — The Associated Press MICHELLE CHAPMAN ;