Luxury aspirations and plug-in hybrid tech for Mazda’s largest SUV…..
On sale September | Price from £43,950 (est)
Value for money is all well and good when it comes to everyday items, but what about when you decide to treat yourself? If you’re in the market for a practical SUV, this Mazda CX-60 may very well tempt you to step up from the already-competent (if a little sensible) CX-5. Its brawny dimensions, additional power and sumptuous interior might be the best way to maximise what SUV you can get with your hard earned cash. Place the two side by side, and this keg-sized CX-60 makes the CX-5 look like a single can of beer, but there’s more to this Mazda than its sheer proportions.
The CX-60 is also Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid, and with prices starting under £45,000, its natural rivals are the BMW X3 xDrive 30e and Toyota RAV4 PHEV. If you can stretch to the higher £50k price, there’s also the Audi Q5 TFSI e and Lexus NX450h+. A petrol and diesel engine will follow later, but the CX-60 PHEV is expected to account for 75% of the CX-60’s sales.
Three trim levels are available (more on that below), but even the cheapest Exclusive-Line comes with leather seats, climate control, cruise control, gesture-controlled powered tailgate, 18in alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats, rear-view camera and front and rear parking sensors.
So, with a generous list of equipment, the promise of low CO2 emissions, extra pace and potential low fuel bills, does the CX-60 stack up against its rivals?
What’s it like to drive?
This plug-in hybrid Mazda CX-60 is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 100kW electric motor. Total power output is 323bhp, which is good for a 0-62mph time of 5.8sec. Thanks to four-wheel drive as standard, there’s very little drama when it comes to deploying all that power. There’s a little delay between pinning the accelerator to the floor and the CX-60 deciding to deploy all of its power, but there’s plenty of muscle in reserve when you need it. You can also work around this by flicking into Sport drive mode to sharpen up the response.
The eight speed automatic is the only gearbox available, and while it can be smooth at shifting gears once you get above town speeds (even if you use the paddles to manually downshift), it can be a little clunky when you’re pootling around. That’s a shame, especially since the PHEV is prime for town and city use in stop-start traffic when you’d want it to be at its smoothest. In hybrid mode, the petrol engine and electric motor will switch between each other smoothly enough, but once the hybrid’s battery has depleted, running on the petrol engine alone feels lumpy, with plenty of vibrations transmitted through the interior floor.
That said, refinement could still be better even with a full battery. There’s plenty of whine from the electric motor during acceleration and there’s a fair amount of wind noise by the front windows on the motorway. The suspension thumps when dealing with potholes and scarred surfaces, too.
While we’re on the topic of suspension, the CX-60’s firmer ride won’t be to everyone’s tastes, as it can struggle to settle down on most surfaces. It rounds off bumps well enough to prevent them from being harsh or violent enough to throw occupants around, but it does feel as though you’re driving over a mildly rippled road surface for the majority of the time.
The flipside to this, and it’s one of the CX-60’s biggest strengths, is that body control remains flat and level compared with most rivals.
The CX-60 remains composed whether you’re heading down an undulated road or tackling a twisty road, dealing with mid-corner bumps with ease. The steering isn’t too sharp and the positive weighting is not only accurate, but engaging enough to encourage a keen driver in the bends. Not bad for an SUV that almost weighs two tonnes.
Not only is this the most powerful Mazda in the range, but it’s also one of the cleanest, with an official fuel consumption figure of 188mpg (WLTP) and a CO2 output of 33g/km.
There’s a 17.8kWh battery that’s good for 39 miles of pure electric driving, equating to a 12% BIK rating for company car drivers. That range matches the Q5 and beats the X3 (30 miles), although the RAV4 (with 46 miles) and the Lexus NX 450h+ (42 miles) not only beats the CX-60’s, but also puts it in a lower 8% BIK tax rating, negating some of the latter’s premium in list price.
A 3.3-litre diesel engine will arrive later this year, followed by a 3.0-litre petrol in 2023. Both are six-cylinder units with 48v mild hybrid systems. The petrol will adopt the same fuel-saving technology used on the 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv X engine installed in the 3 hatchback and CX-30 SUV.
What’s it like inside?
Climb into the CX-60 and it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. Opt for the Comfort Pack and a facial recognition system will readjust your settings for you automatically once you climb into the seat – handy if you regularly swap drivers.
Forward visibility is great, helped by thin windscreen pillars and a low dash that gives a clear view of where the bonnet ends, helping you thread the car easily on the road. Rear visibility is hampered by the thick rear pillars, but the image from the rear-view camera projected onto the large 12.3in infotainment screen makes light work of reverse parking manoeuvres.
The infotainment system continues to use a rotary control for navigating through all the controls, with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto included. There are also two USB C points in the front and rear for charging devices.
The 12.3in driver’s digital instrument display is clear with great colour contrast, even if it’s not that configurable.
There’s plenty of space for occupants up front, but sitting in the rear isn’t exactly cavernous compared with the CX-5, especially if you have taller occupants up front. You do get more legroom, but you can’t stretch out that much further. Likewise when it comes to headroom: there’s an inch or so more, but it could be better, especially if you go for the optional panoramic roof.
The boot is uniform in shape, offering 570 litres with the rear seats up and 1726 litres with them down. Again, that’s not a great deal more than the CX-5’s offering of 522-1,638 litres.
When it comes to safety equipment, all models include blindspot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist and traffic sign recognition. There’s also a pop-up bonnet that deploys to reduce the impact of a pedestrian impact.
The sportier Homura model we tested adds larger 20in wheels, body-coloured wheel arches and a gloss back front grille. Inside, there’s ambient lighting, electrically adjustable front seats and a 12 speaker Bose sound system.
Top-spec Takumi adds a chrome exterior window surround, with upgraded Nappa leather leather seats inside, complemented by wood trim and door linings that are meant to be inspired by Kimono patterns.
Apart from the £1,000 panoramic sunroof, optional extras are bundled into packs, including the Comfort, Convenience and Driver Assistance.
Keyword: 2022 Mazda CX-60 PHEV review: price, specs and release date