Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Mazda CX-80 E-SkyActiv PHEV Homura Plus
UK pricing: £54,720 as tested; from £48,920
Powertrain: plug-in hybrid - 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, 129kW electric motor and 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack
Transmission: automatic - eight-speed automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive
Body style: five-door, six-/seven-seat SUV
CO2 emissions: 35g/km
Fuel consumption: 176mpg
Electric range: 37 miles
Top speed: 130mph
0-62mph: 6.8sec
Max power: 327hp (system total)
Max torque: 500Nm (system total)
Boot space: 258 litres all seats in use, 687 litres third row folded, 1,971 litres all seats folded
Kerb weight: 2,248kg
Towing capacity: 2,500kg (braked trailer)
Styling
The styling of the CX-80 is basically identical to that of the CX-60, just with longer rear doors. Actually, overall it looks a little more elegant than its smaller brother - the extra length seems to bring a little more definition to the shape, as the CX-60 sometimes looks too short for its overall bulk. The massive radiator grille and tiny inset headlights are not the most elegant solution at the front, but at least they're not as abysmal as some of BMW's worst efforts in this regard. What Mazda's designers have done really well with the CX-80 is to keep the side of the car looking lean and sculpted, but without resorting to the too-common mess of extra lines leading nowhere. The CX-80's design is clean, but surprisingly complex the more you look at it. As standard, there are 20-inch alloy wheels finished in a dark grey colour, but scour the options list and you'll find more menacing black multi-spoke items. We've already mentioned the gorgeous Melted Copper colour option, but if that's a bit too showy for you, try the more restrained Artisan Red.
Interior
The CX-80's cabin is without question its strongest point, although that comes with the enormous caveat that it's incredibly spec sensitive. If you plump for the range-topping Takumi or Takumi Plus models, you'll get a very brightly-coloured interior, with pale wood, leather, and fabric on the dash, trimmed with bright - and obnoxiously chunky - chrome trim on the doors. While there's no doubting the exceptionally high quality levels of all this - and Mazda is definitely punching up from its mass-market roots towards the premium German brands in quality, fit, and finish terms - it's all a bit too bling for our tastes.
Thankfully, if you instead go for a mid-spec Homura or Homura Plus version, then the interior is much, much nicer. Now you get subtle black leather trim, with tan inserts and contrast stitching. The wood is now in a dark, chocolatey-finish, and the OTT chrome has been replaced by darker brushed gunmetal effect. The CX-80's cabin now looks so much classier and more welcoming (taste is subjective of course, you may feel differently).
The main digital instruments are relatively plain and simple in design (although there is the option of a more expansive digital layout, which comes on automatically when you select cruise control) and there's not much scope for customisation, but Mazda's standard head-up display is excellent. The main touchscreen in the centre of the dash is actually controlled by a click-wheel down on the centre console, which might sound archaic, but it's actually so much easier and less distracting to use on the go than rival systems. Mazda's software is simple and pretty basic, but you do get a good, clear, sat-nav system and it's an easy screen to find your way around. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and there's a wireless phone charging pad at the base of the centre console.
Thankfully, Mazda has kept a comprehensive spread of buttons and switches for the climate control and heated seats, so everything's easy to adjust to your liking without taking your eyes off the road. If only all car makers were so sensibly inclined.
Practicality
The extra room compared to the CX-60 has been put to very good use with seats for seven coming as standard. Impressively, the CX-80 gets seven seats even if you tick the box for the plug-in hybrid version, whereas the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq and even the pricey Audi Q6 delete the third row if you're opting for plug-in hybrid power.
Actually, if you're going for the Plus versions of either Homura or Takumi spec, the CX-80 is a six-seater. Homura Plus versions leave a gap between the two middle-row captain's chairs, which is handy for getting in and out of the third row, while Takumi Plus models get an extra centre console, with storage areas and cupholders.
The middle row of seats slides back and forth by 120mm and reclines at up to 33 degrees, so it's pretty easy to get comfortable there and when the seats are slid all the way back, there's copious legroom and plenty of headroom. The back doors are massively long, so getting in and out (or loading up children into safety seats) is pretty easy.
As ever with a seven- (or six-)seat SUV, you have to make compromises if you're going to use the third row. Middle-row passengers will have to scoot up a bit and slide their seats forward if there's to be adequate legroom and foot-room for anyone other than children in row three, although at least once you're in there the third row seats are comfortable.
The boot holds a fairly ordinary 258 litres of luggage if all the seats are in use - enough for about two, maybe three, airline carry-on sized bags - but fold the back seats away and there's a more useful 687 litres, which is good and a useful advance on the boot space of the CX-80, but rather dwarfed by the boots of the Skoda Kodiaq or the Peugeot 5008. Fold everything flat and there's the guts of 2,000 litres of space.
There's also, in the plug-in hybrid version of the CX-80, a useful 1.5kW socket in the boot, which allows the hybrid battery - assuming there's a certain level of charge in it - to power domestic appliances and even charge things like e-bikes and e-scooters.
That's handy, but things are much less good up front, where in spite of the CX-80's bulk, there's a lack of handy storage spaces in the cabin, with really only the cupholders, a shallow tray under the front armrest, and relatively small door bins on offer.
Performance
With 327hp and 500Nm of total system torque available, the plug-in hybrid version of the Mazda CX-80 is no slouch, getting from rest to 62mph in just 6.8 seconds. Thanks to our test drive near Munich, we can also confirm that it reaches and holds high Autobahn speeds without any drama.
Of course, to be honest, most of the time you're more likely to be driving with economy in mind, and in this role the CX-80 performs well... as long as you've kept that hybrid battery charged.
On a full charge, Mazda's claim of 37 miles of electric range seems broadly realistic, although 30 miles is probably a safer rule of thumb. Starting with a full battery and taking on a lengthy test route that included substantial stretches at high motorway speeds, we recorded average fuel consumption of 50mpg, which is certainly not bad. Experience with the CX-60, which of course uses the same 2.5-litre engine and plug-in hybrid module, suggests you'll get more like 30mpg if you go on a long motorway cruise starting with a flat battery.
If that's your regular driving, consider the rather lovely 3.3-litre mild-hybrid straight-six diesel instead. We haven't had a chance to sample it in the CX-80 yet, but in the CX-60 we were able to get it to record a solid 53mpg in mixed, long-haul conditions.
The PHEV is good if much of your mileage is urban, however. It's very smooth in all-electric mode, as you might expect, and the 129kW electric motor has enough poke that you won't need to wake the petrol engine up. Mazda also seems to have refined its software, as the PHEV's switch from petrol to electric and back again seems smoother and better resolved here in the CX-80 than it did in the CX-60.
Ride & Handling
You're not going to expect a 2.2-tonne, plug-in hybrid, multi-seat SUV to handle like a sports car, and the CX-80 most definitely doesn't. That said, Mazda's engineers have worked a few wonders that makes this big car more rewarding from behind the wheel than most of its breed.
Compared to the CX-60, the CX-80 gets recalibrated steering, and really quite different rear suspension which does away with the anti-roll bars entirely, while also stiffening up the rear dampers yet softening the springs. The effect is to make the CX-80 feel surprisingly agile - the steering is meaty and rewarding to use - and through a series of sweeping corners it actually feels quite biddable and even a bit fun, within the boundaries of its weight and bulk. Certainly, it's a better steer than a Skoda Kodiaq or Peugeot 5008, and bears comparison with the Audi Q7.
The Q7 has a smoother, better-damped ride quality though. While the extra length in the wheelbase means that the CX-80 is a little smoother than the often-too-rough CX-60, it still suffers from a crashy ride, which is especially noisy around town. It's a shame, as overall the CX-80 is quite a refined car, so when it stumbles over bumps as it does, you tend to notice it more.
Value
The CX-80 sits in a slightly awkward middle-ground, where it's around £10,000 more expensive than the most basic Skoda Kodiaq - which is a lot, considering what a good car the Kodiaq is - but it's almost £30,000 cheaper than an Audi Q7 TFSIe, and the Mazda can stand comparison to the Audi.
That means that the CX-80 is either way too expensive, or a staggering bargain, depending on which angle you're looking at it from. Standard equipment is generous - seven seats for the basic Exclusive Line model, 20-inch alloys, three-zone climate, leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, a bevvy of electronic safety aids, 12.3-inch colour screens for infotainment and instruments, a head-up display, and connected online services.
Verdict
As far as big, chunky SUVs go, the Mazda CX-80 is one of the good ones. Yes, the ride quality needs sorting, it's not cheap, and the boot could be bigger, but it drives and steers with more enthusiasm than you'd expect, it's roomy and comfortable, it looks good, and it's exceptionally well-built, to the point where it can start to compete with the posh German brands.
