Taking on winter in Mazda’s three-row PHEV SUV.
One of the pluses of having a Detroit office is that our yearlong review test fleet can be torture- and snow-tested in the great white north. Even if Michigan is mild, a trip to Northern Ontario is guaranteed to provide a winter wonderland of driving experiences. Two years ago we tookand got a couple feet of the fresh white stuff on Christmas Eve. It was with that in mind that we aimed for a repeat performance withplug-in hybrid.
Technical director Frank Markus also found it difficult to utilize the full electric potential of our Mazda in the winter. The screens would show reasonable battery levels, but the engine would come on, we suspect to run the heat. When he parked it in his 42-degree heated garage, it allowed full electric mode when he pulled the CX-90 PHEV out, but only until he reached the freeway. Light acceleration to 70 mph triggered the engine. Having the heater on also prompted the engine to kick in.
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