It's been a while since South Africa has seen a six-cylinder Mazda product. It took us a while and a little internet validation before we settled on the 626 and the MX-6, as the last time we saw Mazda offer a six-cylinder passenger vehicle locally. In fact, outside of the USA, Mazda is not known for producing a 6-cylinder power unit. The new Mazda CX-60 changes that, though, and they've made it diesel and a hybrid. This is a rather strange combination and not one we're accustomed to seeing, with most manufacturers opting to pair electrification with petrol engines.
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It's not only the unconventional powertrain; the whole CX-60 recipe is one that we haven't seen from Mazda before, and it's their first foray into the premium mid-size SUV segment. Complementing the CX-5 and CX-30, the CX-60 is Mazda South Africa's new flagship model, and as such, it commands an appropriate price as well. The CX-60 is the first product of theirs to breach the R1-million mark.
Styling
Mazda's Kodo design language draws inspiration from the taut muscles of athletes and predators in the animal kingdom. It conveys agility, strength, and precision; in many of Mazda's offerings, it's wonderfully executed, beautifully refracting light. This design approach still exists in the CX-60, but it has been toned down to create a softer, less aggressive form, more befitting of the CX-60's intended use. It's a sizeable SUV that stands tall and proud, displaying a lengthy bonnet and high-perched nose.
The range-topping Takumi variant features a unique bumper design, singling it out from the other CX-60 offerings. The lower portion, usually black in colour, is body coloured on the Takumi variant, as are the side sills. The grille is also dedicated, finished in piano black and incorporating a vertical bar design. It also rides on a unique set of alloy wheels featuring a diamond-cut finish with dark backing. They measure in sizeable 20 inches in diameter.
It's not the prettiest Mazda SUV, and that's for sure. The LED headlights look too small on the large front end of the CX-60. The rear is by far the most attractive angle to approach the SUV, with handsome LED taillights and faux quad exhaust tip elements in the lower section of the bumper. It's a more familiar look and not too far removed from the CX-5.
Space and Comfort
Parallels will naturally be drawn between the CX-5 and CX-60, as the former previously held the crown as the flagship model. The CX-60 ups the ante and offers far more space than the CX-5. The front shoulder room offers 44 mm more space in front and 50 mm at the rear. Legroom is improved in the rear, and the boot is sizeable at 570 litres. This can be expanded to 1726 litres when folding the seats and loading it floor to ceiling. The opening is 1 082 mm wide, 35 mm wider than the CX-5, and 758 mm high. Mazda reduced the difference in height between the ledge and the boot floor to make loading and unloading easier. The electronic tailgate is sensor-activated, allowing you to open it with a wave of your foot when your hand and arms are full.
The interior trimmings are luxurious, with soft-touch materials throughout the cabin, raised stitching, and quality plastics where applicable. There is a strong emphasis on horizontal elements, and much of the switchgear has been simplified and minimized to create a clean but effective interior that looks as good as it feels. The cabin is always the highlight of Mazda products.
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Convenience
One aspect of Mazda's approach to design and construction is the amount of time and effort that they put into the vehicle's ergonomics. They study the optimal angles for your hips, knees, and ankles, amongst a wash of other aspects, to ensure that their seats and driving positions cause the least amount of strain on your body. This stems from their Jinba Ittai philosophy, loosely translated into 'Horse and rider as one', the connection and synergy between man and machine. As such, the electric seats in the CX-60 are comfortable but supportive.
The CX-60 is claimed to have driver personalisation, a system which will detect your face and adjust the seats, wheel, mirrors, and other parameters according to a saved preset. In all honesty, we didn't try this feature as we were not switching drivers. The infotainment screen is 12.3 inches and supplements the 12.0-inch driver display. It is Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay enabled, with only the latter being of the wireless variety. A 12-speaker Bose audio system is installed, but this was a bit of a letdown. Usually, the Bose systems perform well, but in our test unit, we found the clarity to break down at slightly elevated audio levels far sooner than anticipated or desired.
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Performance
The heart of the CX-60 is the drawcard, a 3.3-litre straight-six cylinder turbodiesel with 48-Volt mild-hybrid assistance. This unit produces 187 kW and a meaty 550 Nm torque, sending power to all four wheels through a self-shifting 8-speed automatic. The hybrid assistance helps fill the gaps and fire up the engine when the auto stop-start is in effect. The slight delay here takes a little getting used to and isn't ideal, but once on the move, the engine pulls strong and has a beautiful torque surge that makes overtaking a pleasure. It's unusual to pair a hybrid drive system (albeit mild) with a diesel powerplant, but it makes complete sense.
The Drive
Suspension tuning is great, with admirable primary and secondary ride quality despite the larger wheel diameter. The brakes, on the other hand, lack a progressive feel and, at times, feel as if they need more pressure than one is expecting. This aside, the CX-60 rides well with well-weighted steering and predictable road manners for a vehicle of its size.
Fuel Consumption
The claimed fuel consumption is listed at 4.9 L/100km, and with regular driving in a predominantly urban environment, we were returning figures of 7.9 to 8.2 L/100km. While still acceptable, this is a bit of a stretch from the claimed 4.9. The fuel tank is 58 litres big, which yields an estimated range of 1184 km if you can achieve the claimed consumption of 4.9 L/100km. With our real-world figures, a range of 734 km would be achieved.
Safety
There's a comprehensive array of safety systems and driver aids in the CX-60, which Mazda dubs the i-Activesense. This suite includes a low-speed 360-degree camera system with a transparent view to allow accurate positioning and manoeuvring of the SUV in tight spots, adaptive cruise control, and Advanced Smart City Brake Support (autonomous emergency braking). You also get Lane Keep Asisst, Blind Sport Monitoring, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
It has the usual alphabet soup of safety acronyms, including anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution (ABS with EBD), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control (TCS), hill-start assist (HSA), and auto headlights that activate 30-minutes before sunset to ensure visibility. The CX-60 has a 5-start Euro NCAP rating and comes with 7 airbags.
Price
The Mazda CX-60 3.3D AWD Takumi is the first new Mazda product to break the R1-million barrier. As such, it will set you back R1 074 700, but there's not too much in the way of surprises as it's comprehensively specced straight from the showroom floor. It is sold with a 5-year/unlimited km warranty and a 5-year/unlimited km service plan.
| Model | Price (incl. VAT) |
| Mazda CX-60 2.5 Dynamic | R770 800 |
| Mazda CX-60 2.5 AWD Individual | R879 900 |
| Mazda CX-60 3.3D AWD Takumi | R1 074 700 |
Competitors
The CX-60 is not as expensive as one would think, and the competitors are actually similarly priced. Both the Isuzu mu-X and Ford Everest are contenders. On the 5-seater premium front, the BMW X3 and Lexus NX come to the fray, and one can expand the search to include the Volvo XC60 and Kia Sorento.
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The Verdict
Mazda appears to have fallen out of favour with the public in recent years, which is a pity. The products are still solid offerings that have a high standard spec, extensive dealership network, and support. They're reliable and relatively affordable to run and maintain. The CX-60 may appeal to the more well-heeled amongst us, but consumers will have a hard time choosing the CX-60 over one of the competitors unless the desire for a 3.0-litre-plus sized engine is an attraction - which we think it should be. All SUVs should have 3.0-litre turbodiesel engines at a minimum.
