Mazda reveals plug-in CX-60, its most powerful SUV ever

Having introduced its first fully electric vehicle last year, the MX-30, Mazda has now revealed its first plug-in hybrid in the form of the new CX-60, which uniquely doubles as the most powerful road car the brand has ever released.

The 60 is the first of Mazda’s models based on its all-new Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture. This platform will underpin the next-gen Mazda6, plus the CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90, and several Lexus products as part of a partnership between Mazda and Toyota.

It measures in at 4747mm long, 1890mm wide, and 1680mm tall with a 2870mm wheelbase. This means it’s longer and wider than a CX-5, with a significantly larger wheelbase. This most likely means a larger cabin space. The boot can hold 570 litres of storage with the seats up, and 1148 litres with them down.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain pairs Mazda’s familiar 141kW/261Nm 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 100kW/250Nm electric motor, a new 8-speed automatic, and a 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Combined power output is rated at 241kW/500Nm, making this the most powerful road car that Mazda has ever produced.

It will hit 100km/h in a claimed 5.8 seconds, with top speed limited to 200km/h. More importantly, Mazda claims it will be able to travel 60km on pure electricity, adding that it can be charged in four hours via AC charging. WLTP combined fuel consumption is rated at a mere 1.5L/100km.

Despite its new bones underneath the CX-60 lifts plenty of styling cues from its CX-5 cousin. These include the familiar ‘Kodo’ design elements, the grille that flows into the headlights, and similar cladding. It also has the same seating format as the CX-5; two rows accommodating five people.

Inside, the CX-60 looks a lot like its MX-30 sibling, with its classy squared-off dashboard layout and its mix of interesting materials (‘breathing fabric’, maple wood, metal, and Nappa leather included).

Front and centre is a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, complemented on the driver’s side by a head-up display that’s three times the size of the unit fitted to the CX-30. Mazda also boasts that the model will feature a ‘Driver Personalisation System’ that can automatically give drivers the perfect seating and mirror position by using a camera to detect where their eyes are.

Speaking of drivers, Mazda clearly hopes the CX-60 will continue the brand’s reputation for building SUVs that are more engaging to drive than others. They’ve given the model double wishbone suspension up front, a multi-link suspension set-up in the rear, and Mazda’s ‘Kinetic Posture Control’ torque vectoring system.

Mazda New Zealand has already confirmed that the CX-60 is heading to our shores. It announced this news last October, simultaneously confirming the other three new ‘CX’ models for our market at the same time. With the other three SUVs yet to be unveiled, though, local launches are likely to be staggered.

These new SUVs are likely to form a big part of Mazda’s push for electrification. It announced last year that it plans to launch 13 new electrified vehicles by 2025. This CX-60 is one of them, the forthcoming MX-30 plug-in hybrid is another.

With Mazda stating that the CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90 “will offer a variety of choices of electrified powertrains to respond to each country’s electrification roadmap”, it’s safe to assume that each of them will contribute to the manufacturer’s electric vehicle roadmap, too.

The CX-60 is already on sale in the UK, meaning that a New Zealand berth hopefully comes later this year. Expect full local pricing and specs to arrive in the coming months.