After Two Decades Without One, Mazda Finally Builds Its Own Six-Cylinder Engine Again

For years, the auto industry has been shrinking engines. Ford pushed EcoBoost four-cylinders. GM traded V6s and V8s for turbocharged threes and fours. Stellantis swapped its Hemi V8 for a turbo inline-six. But Mazda went the other way. While everyone else downsized, Mazda quietly resurrected something it hadn't built in 20 years: its own six-cylinder engine.

And it did it without a hybrid crutch.

S. market. It makes between 280 and 340 horsepower depending on the tune, and it's paired with a mild hybrid system that smooths out throttle response. Mazda designed this engine to compete with European luxury SUVs from Audi and BMW. And it works. When we drove the CX-90, the engine pulled hard, revved smoothly, and made the big SUV feel genuinely refined.

For a company that hadn't developed its own six-cylinder since the 1990s, that's impressive.

Mazda chose an inline-six over a V6 for a simple reason: balance. An I6 is naturally smoother than a V6, which means less vibration and a quieter cabin. That matters when you're trying to sell a $50,000 SUV. 5-liter four-cylinder, using aluminum construction, revised intake ports, and higher compression.

The high-output version runs 19 pounds of boost and requires premium fuel. The standard version uses 14 pounds and runs on regular. Both feel effortless compared to a stressed four-cylinder. If you want one, the CX-90 starts around $39,000 new, and used examples from 2024 can be found for under $30,000.

That's a lot of smooth six-cylinder for the money.