Test Car Specifications
Model: 2023 Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv D MHEV 3.3 AWD Takumi
Price: CX-60 Diesel from £43,010; Takumi from £50,775
Engine: 3.3-litre six-cylinder diesel mild-hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power: 254hp
Torque: 550Nm
Emissions: 139g/km
Economy: 53.3-54.3mpg
0-62mph: 7.4 seconds
Top speed: 136mph
Boot space: 570-1726 litres
Styling
The diesel CX-60 looks much the same as the plug-in hybrid version released last year, but there is a small clue to be found if you know where to look. On the front wing, just in front of the door, there's a little patch with 'Inline 6' lettering to honour the straight-six diesel engine under the bonnet. That subtlety isn't a bad thing, though, because while the CX-60 doesn't wear Mazda's design language quite as comfortably as the smaller CX-5, it's hardly ugly. Maybe it isn't sexy, but it's perfectly acceptable.
Interior
While the CX-60's exterior might not be the sexiest thing on the planet, the cabin is a thing of beauty. Not only is it striking in terms of design and technology, but the quality of the materials and the way they all fit together is exemplary. It feels like a properly premium product, putting it on a par with the likes of Volvo and Jaguar.
And the tech is good, too. Mazda takes quite a pragmatic approach to in-car tech, preferring easy-to-use, clear displays to fancy tricks and over-complicated controls. Instead, you get a big screen with a clean, minimalist display and touchscreen functionality, but only when the car is stopped. The rest of the time, there's a BMW iDrive-style rotary controller that allows you to navigate the screen almost without looking, assuming you've learned your way around it beforehand.
Practicality
Because the CX-60 is pretty sizeable, it’s no surprise to find plenty of space in the cabin. Admittedly, it doesn’t come in seven-seat form, which might disappoint a few customers, but there’s plenty of space for those in the five seats that are found in the cabin. Leg- and headroom are both ample in all versions of the CX-60, and four adults will be perfectly comfortable in there. They’ll have sufficient luggage space, too, with 570 litres of capacity – the same amount as you get in the plug-in hybrid. Fold the back seats down, though, and that space grows to 1,726 litres.
Performance
Because the plug-in CX-60 was so disappointing, the diesel engines (and we have to use the plural, because there are two of them) have a lot of weight on their broad shoulders. Both engines are 3.3-litre, six-cylinder motors, and they’re remarkably smooth, despite having that unmistakable diesel clatter. Nevertheless, you can barely hear them from the cabin, and they provide plenty of grunt.
The cheapest option is the 200hp engine, which drives the rear wheels alone via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. But the one we’d have is the more potent 254hp option, which has all-wheel drive. It’s only marginally less efficient than the rear-drive car – it’ll do 54.3mpg as opposed to 56.5mpg – but the extra power and traction are well worth having.
Of course, neither engine is as potent as the 327hp hybrid, but both are more efficient on a long run and they’re smoother, although that’s more an indictment of the hybrid than a compliment for the diesels. Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with the engines whatsoever, and that in itself is a big step forward for the CX-60.
Ride & Handling
Perhaps the biggest let-down with the hybrid CX-60 was the way it drove, especially given how good the smaller CX-5 is. Happily, the diesel CX-60 is a noticeable improvement on its sibling, if only because it feels a little less weighty. Although it’s still a big car, it doesn’t lumber about quite as much, and the brakes feel much more responsive – all of which is good news.
However, you can’t fight physics altogether, and the CX-60 remains a big, soft SUV that doesn’t really like the idea of fast cornering. It rolls quite a lot, and though the steering isn’t bad, it doesn’t encourage you to throw it about, even in the sportier of its three driving modes. But given all the modes seem to do is tweak the gear shifts and the throttle response, perhaps that isn’t a surprise.
Unfortunately, Mazda still hasn’t sorted out the ride completely, although there is a slight improvement in the CX-60 diesel. Perhaps that’s down to the reduced weight, but it seems a little less keen to sag into potholes or thump into cats’ eyes. It still struggles with sharp imperfections and broken surfaces, though, and that spoils what would otherwise be quite a relaxing cruiser. We’d be keen to try the cheaper Exclusive-Line to find out whether smaller wheels will help with that.
Value
CX-60 prices start at £43,010, and that pays for the basic Exclusive-Line model with the 200hp diesel engine. Compared with the equivalent plug-in hybrid, it's around £2,500 cheaper, although the 254hp diesel engine we tested is a few hundred quid more expensive than the hybrid. In short, there isn't all that much difference in price between the hybrid and diesel versions of the CX-60, and there isn't much difference in standard equipment, either. All cars come with big alloy wheels, leather seats and a power-operated tailgate.
Verdict
As expected, the diesel CX-60 is a vast improvement on its hybrid sibling, with a much more competent powertrain under the bonnet and a seemingly improved ride. However, it’s still far from perfect on the road, and there are far better large SUVs out there. At least with this engine, though, the CX-60 can finally be considered an alternative – even if it is a left-field one.
