First impressions – All-new Mazda CX-60 Hybrid SUV

The All-New CX-60, It’s by far Mazda’s most powerful and expensive car and the first with plug-in hybrid tech.

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Car Reviewed: Mazda CX-60 2.5 327ps AWD Takumi Auto

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The All-New Mazda CX-60 Hybrid SUV starts at £43,950 for the Exclusive-line and is offered in two other trims: Homura in mid-range, starting at £46,700, and the range-topping Takumi, asking £48,450. Our three test cars each added around £2500 or £3000 more with options.

From a driving point of view, the four-cylinder 2.5-litre petrol engine develops 327PS aided by 17.8 kWh of battery power and a hefty 500Nm of torque. It provides super acceleration: zero to 62 mph in just 5.8 seconds, with excellent overtaking capability.

Unusual these days with a hybrid, you get a very satisfactory sporty exhaust note along with zippy changes from the 8-speed automatic gearbox. A simulated emergency stop was impressively reassuring.

The premium SUV felt solid and planted on the sweeping roads in North Wales. All versions are equipped with the assurance of All-Wheel-Drive.

The All-New CX-60 claims 39 miles of range with pure electric power, available up to 65mph so that journeys more extended than a short daily commute soon use all that up and the initial display of upwards of 100mpg comes down. The benefit of the CX-60 is shorter commutes or a planned journey with charging opportunities en route. In two of the cars we drove, once electric power had been depleted, the final indicated fuel consumption figures were 32.5 mpg in the Exclusive-line and 32.7 mpg in the mid-range Homura.

Mazda always likes to emphasise its ‘Kodo’ Japanese design philosophy. We enjoyed the interior in the two lower-range versions, but we loved that of the Tacuma: at the car’s launch, the craftsmanship presented was very original and impressive; the CX-60 Tacuma proved to be an excellent example, displaying a stylish range of interesting materials and light colour shades; it was a charming place to be.

The price of the All-New CX-60 means that it needs to be fulsomely equipped. And so it is.

Safety features abound, and owners will find they can achieve a high degree of personalisation as they get to know the car’s possibilities. Using facial recognition, many of the car’s settings and driver preferences for seating, climate, radio etc, are all restored once you get in the driver’s seat.

Music lovers will appreciate the 12-speaker BOSE sound system; this has been designed so that too much fiddling and adjusting will not spoil its overall warmth with high-quality sound. Apple carplay and Android auto are, of course, included.

The 12.3-inch Mazda Navigation System seemed at times to be a touch slow to tell us where, for instance, to turn off, and it would have been better to have had road numbers rather than just road names displayed. These were the first CX-60s in the UK and no doubt Mazda will soon have any such minor niggles sorted out.

Overall, the three cars we drove all performed beautifully, whether quietly negotiating city traffic or providing fast, safe fun out in the countryside.

The All-New Mazda CX-60 is their first vehicle with plug-in hybrid tech and its most powerful road car ever; it all makes for an exciting, dynamic addition to the Mazda range and an excellent addition to the premium SUV sector.