And why Mazda says that won’t be a problem for its all-new mid-size luxury SUV
If you’re looking at the new 2023 Mazda CX-60 turbo-diesel as a possible tow vehicle then you might have to think again.
Despite the undoubted potency of the all-new premium mid-size SUV’s new 187kW/550Nm 3.3-litre turbo-diesel inline six-cylinder, ‘D50e’ engines are rated to tow only 2000kg (braked).
That’s 500kg less than the 209kW/450Nm 3.3-litre turbo-petrol inline-six G40e and the 241kW/500Nm plug-in hybrid P50e, both of which are claimed to tow 2500kg.
Like the CX-60’s petrol powertrains, the diesel engine drives all four wheels via an eight-speed wet-clutch automatic gearbox.
Mazda CX-60 program manager Kohei Shibata told carsales at the Australian launch that the diesel powertrain would require additional cooling to achieve the same 2500kg towing capacity.
He said those additional cooling measures were not being considered at the moment, although that may change if strong customer feedback called for it.
“In reality it is very difficult,” he said via an interpreter. “If there is a high need for that from customers then we have to seriously think about doing it.”
Mazda Australia marketing chief Alastair Doak confirmed customer feedback would be relayed to the factory if necessary. But he played down any chance of that happening.
“If you are going to tow really big things then you will default to ladder frame or one of those,” he said.
“We will wait and see if there is a big demand from customers and we are hearing from our dealers that we are not getting the sales we should have.
“Then we can go back to Shibata San and say here is some market feedback. But we are not expecting that.”
The CX-60 diesel’s 2000kg braked towing capacity matches that of the CX-8 diesel AWD and both the CX-5 turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel AWD.
The BMW X3 has a tow capacity of up to 2600kg, while the Audi Q5 tops out at 2000kg and the Lexus NX at only 1500kg.
The top-towing Mazda is the BT-60 ute, which is rated at 3500kg braked.
Mazda Australia has launched a range of towing accessories with the new CX-60, including a tow pack and electric brake controller.
The CX-60 has a kerb weight of between 1921 and 2139kg, and a GVM of between 2500 and 2683kg. The GCMs are 5000kg for the petrol, 4501kg for the diesel and 5183kg for the PHEV.
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Keyword: Why the Mazda CX-60 diesel can tow less than petrol versions