Mazda CX-60
New plug-in model has the right ingredients to challenge the premium SUV front-runners
MODEL TESTED: Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV Takumi
PRICE: £49,520 POWERTRAIN: 2.5-litre 4cyl, 1x e-motor, 323bhp
MAZDA’S fight to gain a foothold in the premium SUV class relies in part on competitive pricing. And at £50,420 including Mazda’s gorgeous Soul Red paint (a £900 extra), our test car undercuts its rivals here by more than £10,000. But does the CX-60 offer any other advantages?
Design & engineering
WHILE Mazda is best known for sports cars and rotary engines, it does have some form in the mid-size SUV sector. The CX-7 and US-market CX-9 were both left-field alternatives to the mainstream class – but each had their own appeal.
The new CX-60 is attacking the class full on, with a brand-new platform and new powertrains. At a later date this will include an all-new 3.0-litre in-line-six diesel. But for now, the sole powertrain option is one that most buyers – especially those on company car schemes – will consider much more relevant.
Mazda’s plug-in hybrid system combines a 173bhp electric motor, a 17.8kWh battery and a 2.5-litre petrol engine. Together they produce 323bhp, an output that splits the other two here. While drive is sent to all four wheels, Mazda says that the CX-60’s layout is rear-biased, which is in contrast with its rivals.
Mazda doesn’t have the premium reputation that Lexus or Volvo has, but hide the badges in the cabin and you’d be hard pressed to notice any difference in quality. The CX-60’s interior, especially in our car’s high-end Takumi spec, is a lovely place to be; the finish is fantastic, the materials feel solid, and the clever use of textures, including Japanese-inspired fabrics and veneers, mean that it’s more than special enough for Mazda’s premium ambitions.
The fantastic 12-speaker Bose sound system, which also adds technology to make the cabin quieter on the move, backs up the impression of quality. The driving position has plenty of adjustment, but the seats feel a little firm when compared with the Volvo and Lexus, both of which provide fabulous comfort and support.
Driving
IN almost any class in which it competes, Mazda delivers a chassis balance that achieves engaging handling without sacrificing comfort. Unfortunately, the CX-60 hasn’t quite managed to bring this Mazda magic to the premium SUV segment.
There are highlights – the steering is precise and well weighted, for example – but elsewhere the CX-60 feels a little compromised. In corners, body roll is fairly pronounced and the chassis struggles to keep up with that responsive steering. It doesn’t feel any sharper than the Lexus, but also feels less stable than its rival through quick direction changes.
That initial softness to the suspension doesn’t translate into a cosseting ride, either. Of this trio, the Mazda feels the most fidgety.
The hybrid system is also a bit of a mixed bag, with a pronounced whine from the electric motor, even before it’s put under load. What makes this noise even more incongruous is that the engine is as well insulated from the cabin as those in its rivals here.
At 5.8 seconds, the CX-60’s 0-62mph time is half a second faster than the NX ’s, although once
on the move, the Mazda’s gearbox takes a little longer than its rival to figure things out, so overtakes aren’t quite as instantaneous. The shifts themselves are on the clunky side, too.
Practicality
WHEN it comes to overall carrying capacity, the Mazda is the most capable car here. A capacity of 570 litres is more than 100 litres ahead of the Volvo’s 468-litre boot, and beats the 525-litre Lexus, too.
Fold the seats down, a task made easy thanks to the release levers located in the boot, and the advantage continues; the CX-60 offers 1,726 litres, compared with 1,436 litres and 1,395 litres in the Lexus and Volvo respectively. The seats don’t quite achieve a level load space when dropped, though.
The space is useful, too. There’s a generous under-floor area, which has enough room for storing charging cables, while there’s a three-pin plug socket in the boot area, plus another in the cabin.
Rear-seat passengers are fairly well catered for, if not quite as generously as in its rivals here. There’s 20-30mm less kneeroom than in either the Volvo or Lexus, while headroom is a match for the former, but slightly behind the latter. There’s loads of foot space beneath the front seats, but a middle rear passenger has to put up with a high-set seat, so headroom is even tighter.
If you’re installing a child seat, the CX-60’s mix of a raised seating position, large rear doors and Isofix clips that are accessible behind neat plastic covers make the process fairly straightforward.
Ownership
IN our Driver Power satisfaction survey, all three of these brands were closely matched. Mazda took the strongest score with a seventh place finish overall, ahead of Volvo in eighth and Lexus in 12th.
Every one of these cars comes as standard with three years’ worth of breakdown cover from new.
Running costs
PHEVS offer their biggest benefits when covering short distances, which allow them to make the most of their electric range. The real difference among this trio will come on longer journeys, where the Lexus is clearly the most efficient.
Even without any charge in the battery, the NX works well as a conventional hybrid; we averaged 48.9mpg, compared with 42.3mpg for the Mazda. The Volvo showed itself to be disappointingly thirsty once the battery is flat, managing just 32.6mpg.
Over 20,000 miles of combustion driving, that’s the difference of a £3,031 fuel bill for the Lexus and £4,546 for the Volvo. The CX-60 comes in at £3,504.