Starting from the inside out, the interior of the Mazda CX-60 is one of the best on the market, not just of an SUV but across the board. Everything is where it should be. There’s a bank of physical buttons above the smartly designed centre console, which has an easy-to-use toggle to control the 12-inch display screen. Even the design and placement of the cup holders make sense.
This seriously spacious interior also has carefully curated materials such as real maple wood, high-quality leather, Japanese textiles and chrome detailing. Add its ergonomically excellent, natural and supportive driving position, and the CX-60 is a vehicle worthy of flagship status.
And at the same time it’s a car that, by all parameters, shouldn’t exist in today’s world. Namely due to its 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder diesel engine. While the CX-60 has been around for a couple of years in the guise of a petrol plug-in hybrid, this newly developed diesel engine range (with a hint of mild hybrid) spits out between 200-254hp and is coupled with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Seems a bold move from Mazda in this electric-driven age, but it serves as a reminder that there’s still plenty of room at the table for such a powertrain. Mazda has designed this diesel engine to use surplus air to improve the combustion process, which results in a more agile acceleration response and lower NOx emissions at high rpm.
Tested was the Mazda CX-60 diesel in ‘Homura’ spec. This has 254hp and 550 Nm of torque which translates into a top speed of 219 km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.4 seconds. Despite being 4,745mm long, 1,890mm wide, 1,680mm high and a 2,870mm wheel base, the CX-60 can certainly throw its weight around with ease. Fuel consumption is also a little over 5.1-litre/100km – far from a ‘gas guzzler’.
The CX-60 is also a looker. It follows Mazda’s ‘Kodo’ design language which is characterised by “warm, precise surfaces, the refined elegance”. The Mazda CX-60 diesel range is priced from between €63,640 and €74,890 with five trim levels and eight body colours to choose from. Five stars from me.
