This week we had the 2026 Mazda CX70 Signature MHEV, which proved to be the ideal vehicle for our weekend road trip to Summerland.
I have been experiencing knee pain in my right, stemming from overuse and pulling in my thigh (I chalk it up to older age). This has been ongoing and resulting in discomfort when driving longer distances, with the need to wear a brace for relief. This coupled with carpal tunnel in both my arms from overuse of my cell phone, (due to my hobby and passion of blogging and content creating), and the fact that the diction function on my phone is not as accurate as I’d like it to be. Therefore, I am quite the sight when driving, wrapped in guards, with the need to stop and pause to stretch frequently.
Thankfully 2026 Mazdas are equipped with driving assist, and this trip gave me reason to finally to try it for myself. Long since I have been too afraid to, hearing of stories where too much reliance is put on to the car and an accident has occurred as a result. However, the need for relief during a 4 hour car ride was too great and the help offered by driver assist was too great, that I was a fool to not utilize it.
There was a learning curve that required a flip through the driving manual to grasp. Then there was getting use to the buttons, and gaining confidence in what it is capable of. This was done through an hour of testing and trying. Eventually I got the hang of things and found myself literally letting go.
You are able to set the speed to want you want. This is easily done through a toggle of a switch and matching it to the speed limit, as indicated on the dash, (right beside your chooses speed). You maintain it by being aware of your steering and stopping the whole adventure by applying the brakes as needed.
With the Mazda’s 360 cameras the CX70 slows down when it senses vehicles in-front of it and to its sides. It maintains a good distance and is mindful of traffic. It doesn’t automatically speed up or apply more gas when climbing up hill, but does do so when you up the desired base speed.
Unsettling is how it takes corners. Whereas the average driver slows done to take a curve, like I myself do, the CX70 maintains it speed; whether that is 50 or 70km/hr. The feeling I got as the driver is fear coupled with powerlessness. I tried enduring a few times and attempted to trust the technology, but ultimately it was not worth the heart palpitations. So I settled to handling all of the Okanagan’s winding trails manually.
As for rest for my hands, I deployed the hands-free mode. Similar to cruise control, I was able to take my hands off the wheel like how I kept my foot off the pedal. However, this setting required more monitoring, especially as there were flashes on the dash and beeps from the vehicle, indicating as such. This was mostly during the straightaways and not necessary during the above mention bending curves. During which you are signalled to put your hands on the wheel in orange. Not complying leads to flashing red and a matching beep to indicate urgency. I felt this was more to keep you awake and engaged for safety.
Nonetheless, both allowed me to drive relatively pain free and made the travel to and from home quicker feeling than the 4 hours actually was.
The 2026 Mazda CX70 Signature MHEV was a plug-in hybrid, allowing us to save on fuel economy with the ability to run on a battery life, adding just under 40km, and charging while actively driving.
The resort we were staying at even had complimentary charging for EVs, however the charging took more time that we had. At 40W, 2 hours didn’t even get us 1% and I wasn’t inclined to leave it plugged in all night, removing the option for any other guests to use the service.
It took us a whole tank to get to Summerland and another back, just over 600km in tank with EV. Gas prices were under 180.9 in Okanagan, so it was cheaper going than coming back and having to charge at 212.9 in Vancouver.
I would have loved an Eco mode to further help with the fuel economy, but there was only normal, sport, and full EV modes to choose from. The CX70 MHEV features Mazda’s signature 3.3L Inline 6 Turbo paired with a 48-Volt Mild Hybrid for achieving 340 Horsepower and 369 Torque.
There was plenty of space for two in the SUV, with room to seat up to 5 and a good amount of cargo room to house our carry-on luggage and coolers. Plus plenty of binning to store smalls that we picked up on our travels, and keep them safe. This is especially important as I am a collector of botanicals and often find rocks and feathers and pick flowers. And on this trip my friend even solicited me to harvest soil samples from a winery.
Just as spacious was the cabin with cushiony arm rest to separate driver and front seat passenger. The interior was a butterscotch brown, its creamy unique shade definitely felt luxe. The faux leather seats were wide and comfortable enough that I didn’t even remember to adjust the lumbar support.
My favourite feature is that you only need to walk away and the CX70 locks it itself, by itself. Giving you a reassuring beep that the job is done. So no more fumbling around in pockets or purses to find the fob. This is a time saver and thoughtful feature, and probably my favourite of any car. Mazda has really spoiled me. When I test drive other vehicles, I don’t get this same concierge service.
