Test Car Specifications
Model: 2022 Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV Homura Auto
Price: from £48,170
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol plus 129kW electric motor
Battery: 17.8kWh
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power: 327hp
Torque: 500Nm
Emissions: 33g/km
Economy: 188.3mpg
Range: 39 miles
0-62mph: 5.8 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Boot space: 570-1726 litres
Styling
Mazda has attempted to apply the styling that has served it so well on the CX-5 to the larger CX-60, and the results have been mixed. The car looks a bit bluff at the front, but it's far from offensive. It looks good from the back, too, but the impression from the side is a little bland, while viewing from the corners instantly reveals the enormity of its bulk. It's quite American in its attitude, and while it isn't the ugliest thing on the planet, it's far from the prettiest.
Interior
The highlight of the new CX-60 has to be the cabin, which is not only beautifully sculpted but also very well built. It’s every inch the premium SUV in there, with fabulous leather upholstery and a choice of trims, including cork – the material Mazda began trading in when it was founded. There’s also a sharp infotainment system that’s controlled by a wheel on the centre console for minimal distraction when you’re driving and there’s a sharp digital instrument display behind the steering wheel. With the class and solidity of a car from a more upmarket manufacturer, it’s the best interior in the segment.
Practicality
As you might expect from a car this big, there's plenty of room inside the CX-60, but with a plug-in hybrid system on board, don't expect a third row of seats. Don't get us wrong, the five seats that are in place provide plenty of head- and legroom for all, but other cars of this size and weight do often provide seating for seven. Still, the CX-60 does come with an enormous boot measuring 570 litres with the rear seats upright. That should be more than enough for most customers, and those who do need more room can sacrifice those back seats to free up more than 1,700 litres of capacity.
Performance
Plug-in hybrids generally exist to be efficient, rather than powerful, but the CX-60 manages to achieve both. At least it does on paper. An electric-only range of 39 miles and 33g/km CO2 emissions will keep company car tax to a minimum, but the 188mpg official economy figure will only be achievable if you can charge regularly and most of your journeys are short. The bigger catch, however, is the lack of refinement. We kind of expect hybrids to be quiet, but the CX-60 is noisy even when it's running on electric power alone. And while it may have 327hp and a sub-six-second 0-62mph time, the petrol and electric motor don't combine all that well, leaving the car feeling jerky and agricultural.
Ride & Handling
The most apparent sensation when driving the CX-60 is one of weight. The brakes feel overworked and ineffective, the steering feels sluggish and it rides like a foundering ocean tanker. In short, it’s nowhere near the standard we’ve come to expect from Mazda’s SUVs. Where the CX-5 feels nimble and agile, the CX-60 wallows around through corners and lopes from place to place like a grumpy troll. And for all this softness, it isn’t even that comfortable. The primary ride is pretty good on motorways, but it struggles over short, sharp bumps – perhaps because of its sheer bulk. Admittedly, it gets better as the speed rises, but it’s never that brilliant, and it doesn’t handle well enough to make up for it.
Value
Prices for the CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV – that’s the proper name for this plug-in hybrid – start at just over £45,000, and that’s a lot of money for something that doesn’t have a BMW badge on the front. That said, the CX-60 comes with plenty of kit as standard, including leather upholstery and a reversing camera, as well as two-zone climate control and a head-up display. Our Homura-spec test car also added black wheels and exterior trim, as well as heated rear seats and a Bose sound system.
Verdict
The hybrid CX-60 is a rare swing and miss for Mazda, proving a tad too lumpen and detached for our liking. The cabin is roomy, stylish and well built, but even that glorious interior can't make up for the way in which the car handles, rides and burns its way through unleaded. You can't help but think it's going to be better when Mazda launches the six-cylinder diesel version...
