A few years ago Mazda announced it was building a brand-new platform with a brand-new set of engines, including a straight-six for the first time in its history. Despite hinting at a new sports car for well over a decade, Mazda has dropped its new engine into a brand-new pair of SUV, heralding the kick-off of its latest attempt to establish itself as a premium brand, rivalling the Europeans.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
We’ve already driven the CX-60 in Japan, so many of these details might already be familiar to you. The new SUV slots in just above the existing CX-5, measuring 4745mm long, 1890mm wide, and 1685mm tall, or 170mm longer and 45mm wider than the brand’s bestseller.
It doesn’t seem like much on paper but the new looks of the CX-60 makes it appear quite a bit larger. The cab-rearward design, more vertical front end and long bonnet housing the longitudinally oriented engine gives a genuine sense of strength, a specific goal of Mazda’s.
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The 90 has larger dimensions, an extra row of seats, and a slightly different set of proportions.
The CX-60 will arrive in Touring PHEV, Homura Hybrid, Homura PHEV and Takami PHEV trims, while the 90 is exclusively Takami Hybrid. Those wanting seven seats will have to opt for the CX-90, or the slightly older CX-8, as the CX-60 is five-seat-only.
Pricing for the range starts at $78,990 for the CX-60 Touring PHEV – which makes it eligible for the Clean Car rebate – before moving up to the $81,990 CX-60 Homura Hybrid. Next up is the $87,990 Homura PHEV before the $90,990 Takami PHEV rounds out the CX-60 line-up.
The lone CX-90 Takami Hybrid costs $92,990. There aren’t any plug-in hybrid CX-90s, and diesel power is missing from both models entirely. According to Mazda, this is because electrification has largely taken over, checking the same boxes as oil-burners of high torque, namely low fuel consumption and the ability to tow.
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Mazda has long fancied itself as being more premium than most of its Japanese peers. And the CX-60 and CX-90 take this to the next level.
Powering the local range is either a mild-hybrid 3.3-litre petrol-fed turbocharged straight six or a plug-in hybrid 2.5-litre inline-four. Outputs of the straight-six are either 209kW/450Nm in the CX-60 or 254kW/500Nm for the CX-90. Meanwhile, the plug-in hybrid powertrain produces 241kW/500Nm.
Mazda is hunting more premium customers, and has pulled out all the stops for its new pair of SUVs. The interior is extremely nice, especially in the Homura and Takami trims we had at the local launch (the entry Touring wasn’t present).
Every one of the new SUVs gets a pair of 12.3-inch digital screens, one behind the wheel and another for infotainment, with another 12.3-inch head-up display. A 360-degree camera with front and rear parking sensors is standard, as are LED headlights, heated front seats with electric adjustment, sat-nav, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto with wireless device charging.
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Both CX cabins are a delight, packed with interesting materials and design features.
Meanwhile, the mid-range Homura models gets a 12-speaker Bose sound system, adaptive LED headlights with glare-free high-beam, blackout styling features including the 20-inch alloy wheels, mirror caps, wheel arches and front grille. They also get heated outer rear seats, electric steering adjustment, a panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate.
Finally, CX-60 Takami models get 20-inch black machined alloy wheels, bright exterior trim bits, white maple wood inserts in the console and door trims, woven cloth and exposed stitching in the instrument panel and white Nappa leather trim for the ventilated front seats.
The CX-90 Takami gets 21-inch wheels, black Nappa leather trim and the aforementioned seven seats with the outer seats of the second row being heated.
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The CX-90 has a more squared-off rear end, enabling improved space for those in the third row.
What’s it like to drive?
Obviously, I was most keen to try out that new straight-six. Our launch drive route took us on some local roads around Clevedon and Maraetai, familiar and fun. And probably somewhat out of the CX-60/CX-90’s comfort zone, as they can be pretty quick and twisty, making it even more of a test of engineering.
The straight-six itch wasn’t scratched initially, with my first drive being the CX-60 PHEV. Mazda has mounted the motor inside the transmission to give it better response, and it certainly felt quick to react, remarkable considering the plug-in 60 weighs roughly 2100kg.
That motor is paired with a 17.8kWh battery good for an all-electric range of about 60km, after which the vehicle operates as a conventional hybrid. Not the largest range in the world of PHEVs, but it’s on par with the BMW X3 xDrive30e and Lexus NX 450h+ which Mazda is targeting (for markedly less cash).
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Between the two models you get either a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid or a 3.3-litre straight six turbo mild hybrid.
It’s bloody fast too, which I wasn’t entirely expecting. 100kph hits in a hair under six seconds and it’ll keep pulling beyond that, sounding remarkably good as it goes through the gears. Speaking of which, the new eight-speed is a nice upgrade over the old sixer. Those considering shifting from an ageing CX-5 into a CX-60 will be happy.
Also surprising was the handling. The ride is on the softer side but Mazda’s Kinetic Posture Control, which nips the brake on the inside rear wheel to maintain cornering, keeps everything remarkably under control. You do feel that circa-two-tonne mass, but as I mentioned this isn’t a “throw it into a corner, full noise on the way out” sort of vehicle.
There isn’t much of a power deficit between the plug-in CX-60 and the straight-six CX-90 either. But the sound of the six is rather more intoxicating than the four, growling away under the bonnet. Mazda has let the engine sing a little too, it’s quite audible in the cabin. Smooth too, as you might expect, revving happily up to about 6500rpm.
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Sampling the first of Mazda’s ‘large product group’ SUVs before it hits New Zealand in late 2023.
While the PHEV sipped fuel to the tune of about 3.2L/100km after about an hour of mixed driving, as you might expect, the 3.3L six registered 11.2L/100km on a similar drive route. Obviously it’s more but it’s not bad considering a lot of that driving was in Sport mode doing Sport mode things.
Beyond the drive characteristics, Mazda’s new twins are truly worthy of fighting the Germans (and Lexus) for the premium SUV crown. The interior fittings are high quality, they look great, there’s plenty of space and, crucially, they’re affordable. No models break the $100k barrier, and the CX-60 Touring even nabs a Clean Car rebate of $4025.
Next up for Mazda will include more EVs, the first of which is due in 2025, the MX-30 R-EV rotary range extender model, and hopefully some more vehicles with that lovely straight-six in them.
Why would I buy it?
You want a spacious, premium medium SUV that doesn’t break the bank, and one of the few with either an efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain or a large-displacement engine selling brand new in 2023.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
It’s a big thing and you might want something smaller, or you want something fully electric.
#drive #Mazda #hybrid #allnew #CX60 #CX90