When Mazda unveiled the first member of the Large Product family, the
CX-60
, the main draw was the
availability of a 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid
as well as a
3.3-liter turbo diesel with an inline-6 configuration
. Now, as its Australian launch draws near, the Japanese carmaker has revealed details about its turbocharged gasoline engine as well.
The turbocharged gasoline engine, also featuring a 3.3-liter displacement and an inline-6 layout comes with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. The M Hybrid Boost—as Mazda calls the combination is enough for 284 horsepower between 5,000 to 6,000 rpm and 450 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm.
This engine is also slated to appear in the CX-60’s three-seater derivative, the CX-80 as well as the North American CX-70 and CX-90.
Like the PHEV and diesel variant, the CX-60 gas variant employs a rear-biased i-Activ all-wheel drive system and an 8-speed Skyactiv-Drive automatic. The gearbox is unique in that instead of using a torque converter, it uses a multi-plate clutch with an integrated electric motor/generator for “fast, responsive shifts and high efficiency.”
Although peak power seems pedestrian for an engine boasting a turbocharged-hybrid combination, Mazda says the outputs were done based on “key performance parameters” they had in mind for the CX-60 such as 0 to 100 km/h acceleration, CO2 emissions, and fuel consumption.
Meanwhile, the 3.3-liter e-Skyactiv-D is said to be one of the cleanest diesels in the world with a thermal efficiency of over 40 percent. It uses a new technology called Distribution-Controlled Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (DCPCI). Peak outputs of this engine are 231 horsepower at 4,000 to 4,200 rpm and 500 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm.
The last piece of the CX-60 powertrain puzzle is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Making up the base models of the compact SUV, it makes 188 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm.
So far, Mazda says the CX-60 is off to a flying start. While their monthly target is set at 2,000 units in Japan, in just two and a half months, they’ve already reached 8,726 bookings—four times the monthly sales plan.
For its home market, Mazda says 80 percent of CX-60 customers opted for the inline-6 diesel with a vast majority opting for all-wheel drive (69 percent). The least popular option? The PHEV which accounts for just 5 percent of sales. The most popular color is Rhodium White Premium Metallic (45 percent) followed by Machine Gray Premium Metallic (15 percent), and Jet Black Mica (14 percent).
Mazda also says 57 percent of buyers are switching from the CX-5 or CX-8, while 20 percent previously purchased premium European brands. The biggest buying group are customers aged 30 or younger which accounts for 34 percent followed by those in their 40s (26 percent) and 50s (25 percent).
Keyword: 2023 Mazda CX-60 Debuts New Turbocharged, Hybrid Inline-6