Mazda has revealed official pricing for its first foray into premium territory, the CX-60, and the new SUV has high-end high-riding wagons in its crosshairs.
Mazda has opened the order books for the CX-60 today, but deliveries aren’t expected to commence until June 2023.
The CX-60 is the first model in Mazda’s tilt at premium brands and precedes yet-to-be-revealed models like the CX-90, CX-80 and CX-70.
And if early interest is anything to go by, it looks like Australians have no problem paying a premium for a Mazda. The car maker says it has had about 16,000 expressions of interest in the new model, with approximately 60 per cent of those coming from non-Mazda customers.
In Australia, the CX-60 will be offered in three model grades – Evolve, GT and Azami – and each of those grades will be available with a choice of three new powertrains.
They include two new mild hybrid inline six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines – one petrol and one diesel – and the new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain.
As reported by CarsGuide, the CX-60 is priced in excess of $60,000 once on-road costs are factored in.
Pricing kicks off with the Evolve petrol from $59,800 before on-road costs, while opting for the diesel adds $2000 to that price.
That represents about an $8000 leap over the flagship version of Mazda’s other medium SUV, the CX-5 Akera Turbo.
Looking at the other premium mid-size SUVs, the Mazda is undercutting them all.
These perceived premium rivals have starting prices as follows – Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.0 ($64,950); Audi Q5 35 TDI ($68,350); BMW X3 sDrive 2.0i ($76,600); Genesis GV70 2.5T ($68,500) and Mercedes-Benz GLB200 ($67,000).
The only model that comes close to Mazda’s entry point is fellow Japanese marque Lexus with its recently launched NX250 Luxury at $60,800.
The premium for the PHEV in the Evolve grade is $12,500 over the petrol and $10,500 over the diesel. The PHEV Evolve is priced at $72,300.
While that seems like quite a premium for a plug-in powertrain, some other brands charge even more. For example, the Peugeot 3008 AWD GT Sport PHEV is more than $21,000 more than the GT Sport 2WD petrol. Likewise, Mitsubishi charges $16,000 more for the PHEV version of the five-seat AWD Outlander ES.
Standard gear in the Evolve includes a 10.25-inch Mazda Connect multimedia system, Active driving display, 7.0-inch TFT LCD multi-information display for six-cylinder examples – this increases to 12.3 inches for the PHEV, 18-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree view monitor,eight-speaker audio with DAB+ digital radio, wireless phone charger and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The GT is priced from $67,800 for the petrol, then a $2000 premium for the diesel, while the PHEV is $80,492.
Additional features in this grade include 20-inch black metallic alloy wheels, hands-free power tailgate, heated steering wheel, driver monitor, leather steering wheel and leather seats, heated front and rear seats, panoramic sunroof and premium Bose 12-speaker audio system.
The flagship Azami grade ranges from $74,154 for the petrol and tops out at $87,252 for the PHEV.
This grade gains 360-degree view monitor with see through view, adaptive LED headlights, black nappa leather seat trim, LED ambient lighting, frameless interior mirror and ventilated front seats, among other features.
A number of packages are offered depending on the grade chose, including Luxury, Takumi and SP packages.
The 3.3-litre turbo-petrol engine pumps out 209kW/450Nm and can dash from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds.
The turbo diesel outputs 187kW/550Nm and takes 7.0 seconds to get from 0-100km/h, while sipping 4.9L/100km of fuel.
The PHEV pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a 100kW motor for a combined output of 241kW/500Nm, making for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds.
The CX-60’s 17.8 kWh lithium-ion battery can be fully recharged from empty in 2.5 hours using a 7.2 kW AC charger, and it has an electric driving range of 76km at speeds up to 100km/h. Fuel use is rated atv 2.1L/100km.
All powertrains are paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and feature a rear-biased all-wheel drive setup.
2023 Mazda CX-60 pricing before on-road costs:
| Variant | Price |
| Evolve – 3.3L I6 e-Skyactiv G petrol turbo with M Hybrid Boost | $59,800 |
| Evolve – 3.3L I6 e-Skyactiv D diesel turbo with M Hybrid Boost | $61,800 |
| Evolve – 2.5L I4 e-SkyActiv PHEV | $72,300 |
| GT – 3.3L I6 e-Skyactiv G petrol turbo with M Hybrid Boost | $67,800 |
| GT – 3.3L I6 e-Skyactiv D diesel turbo with M Hybrid Boost | $69,800 |
| GT – 2.5L I4 e-Skyactiv PHEV | $80,492 |
| Azami – 3.3L I6 e-Skyactiv G petrol turbo with M Hybrid Boost | $74,154 |
| Azami – 3.3L I6 e-Skyactiv D diesel turbo with M Hybrid Boost | $75,000 |
| Azami – 2.5L I4 e-Skyactiv PHEV | $87,252 |
Keyword: It's official! Mazda CX-60 official pricing confirmed, but how much is it compared with premium SUV rivals?