The CX-60 is the biggest and most powerful car Mazda has ever produced.
Its plug-in hybrid technology also marks a new direction in Mazda’s engine development.
It’s a large, premium SUV that’s a rival to the Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV 4 PHEVs. However, with superb built quality and an excellent interior, it also seeks to tempt buyers of premium SUVs such as the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
In fact, it’s bigger than any of those cars. In the flesh, it feels nearly as big as a BMW X5. It’s also a terrific-looking car, with excellent proportions and great styling touches such as the sharp headlamps and air scoops.
Prices start at £43,950 for entry-level Exclusive Line cars (Facts below are for this version) rising to £46,300 for the mid-spec Takuma and £48,050 for the all-bells-and-whistles Takumi model.
I travelled to Liverpool and spent five hours putting the CX-60 through its paces on a route that took in some of the most spectacular scenery in North Wales.
39 miles of electric range
For the time being there’s one engine option – a plug-in hybrid. This pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a 17.8kWh battery.
Power goes through all four wheels, though a rear-wheel drive version is due to join the range later.
Keep it below 62mph and the CX-60 will cover at least 39 miles on a full battery. That’s enough to complete most daily commutes.
Even with a short stretch of 70mph motorway driving included I managed to cover 45 miles before the ‘EV mode’ button would no longer work.
Four driving modes
Charging the battery takes a couple of hours. It can also be topped up by the engine on the move and on long drives you can instruct it to hold its charge level for later use.
You can drive it in Normal, Sport, EV or Off-Road mode. The latter isn’t intended to tackle the Gobi Desert but will be useful for camping trips and harsh Scottish winter weather.
With petrol engine and electric motor working together, the CX-60 produces 323bhp and 500Nm of torque – making it the most powerful road car Mazda has ever made.
It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, with top speed electronically limited to 124mph. According to official figures economy is 188mpg and emissions 33g/km. As with all hybrids, these figures depend on journey length and how diligent you are about charging the battery.
Fantastic interior
Inside, the CX-60 is a very nice place to spend time. With beautifully crafted inlaid wood and fabric with neat hanging stitches, the top-spec Takumi model is particularly special.
It’s extremely roomy too, most noticeably in the back where rear occupants enjoy excellent legroom. At 570 litres the boot is a great size, too.
It’s also nice to see Mazda finally leave the 90s behind. The CX-60 ditches the tiny letterbox sunroof Mazda has persisted with in favour of a fantastic panoramic glass roof.
What’s it like to drive? Really good is the short answer. On some narrow Welsh backroads the CX-60 felt smaller and more nimble than a big SUV should.
A refined cruiser
There’s very little body lean in cornering and – cleverly – the inside rear wheel is braked to improve handling. It grips well although there’s no disguising that it is a heavy car and I was wary of carrying too much speed into bends.
Cruising is where the Mazda CX-60’s talents really lie. It’s a fantastic mile muncher. Despite being on the firm side the suspension soaks up bumps beautifully, and very low levels of wind and road noise make it extremely refined.
Mazda plans to add petrol-only and diesel engines to the CX-60, and an even bigger CX-80 model is due in a couple of years.
If it’s as good as the CX-60 I’ll be impressed. Great looking, refined, luxurious and economical it deserves to tempt buyers from supposedly more premium brands such as Audi, BMW and Volvo.
The Facts
Model: Mazda CX-60
Price: £43,950
0-62mph: 5.8 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Economy: 188.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 33g/km
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