Malaysia-bound Mazda CX-60 launched in Australia as a hybrid-only model, 328 PS / 500 Nm

The upmarket Mazda CX-60 is now available in Australia. Built on Mazda’s latest Large Product Group platform, the CX-60 is best known for its front-engine rear-wheel drive (FR) layout but in Australia, the CX-60 will only be offered as an all-wheel drive (AWD) model.

Three engine options are available, all hybrids, all paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission with Mazda’s rear axle-biased i-Activ All-Wheel Drive.

The entry variant is a 3.3-litre e-SkyActiv-G turbocharged direct injection six-cylinder petrol engine. The ‘e’ designation means that it is electrified, in this case, by a 48V mild hybrid to make 284 PS / 450 Nm. It sprints from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds.

Next up is a e-SkyActiv-D turbodiesel, also 3.3-litre and with 6 cylinders, also a 48V mild hybrid. It makes 254 PS / 550 Nm, with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds. Being a diesel, highlight is of course its claimed fuel economy of just 4.9-litre / 100 km.

At the top of the CX-60 range is the 2.5-litre e-SkyActiv PHEV (plug-in hybrid). The 2.5-litre naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G 4-cylinder engine is shared with the CX-5 but installed longitudinally just like the 6-cylinder variants. It is however boosted by a 100 kW drive motor to make a combined system output of 328 PS / 500 Nm.

The motor is powered by a 17.8 kWh lithium-ion battery mounted between the front and rear axles. It supports up to 7.2 kW of AC charging and has an EV-only driving range of 76 km, at speeds of up to 100 km/h.

The CX-60 PHEV is the most powerful production Mazda model ever, sprinting from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

If you are wondering why the title of this post says Malaysia-bound, that’s because it’s an open secret that Bermaz Motor will be launching the CX-60 in 2023.

“We can’t comment on the CX-60 yet but if you look at our model line-up, you will see that all right-hand drive Mazda models are available for sale in Malaysia,” said a Bermaz spokesperson in June this year.

Also, Mazda Australia's model line-up is very similar to ours.

The next obvious question would be the CX-60's price in Malaysia. The CX-60 isn’t cheap. Although it is still a 5-seater like the Mazda CX-5, it will be priced closer to a 6-/7-seater Mazda CX-8 (from RM 185k) or Mazda CX-9 (from RM 329k), depending on whether it will be a locally assembled (CKD) or imported from Japan (CBU) model.

In Australia, prices range from AUD 59,800 to AUD 87,252 (~RM 179k - ~RM 262k). The prices are well clear of the CX-5’s AUD 53,680 ceiling price but there are significant overlaps with the CX-9’s AUD 45,990 to AUD 73,785. Deliveries will begin in June 2023.

The rationale for the CX-60 versus the CX-5? Mazda says it is losing quite a significant number of customers (25 percent in Australia alone) when they upgrade from their CX-5 to something more premium, but don't want a large and unwieldy 3-row seat SUV.

The CX-60 will be the premium, next step after the CX-5. You might think it's a silly way of looking at things because at the end of the day it is still a Mazda, but the success of the Toyota Harrier speaks for itself.

Also read: Review: 2021 Toyota Harrier 2.0 Luxury - Do you really miss the turbo?

There are many customers who have 'been there and done that' with German brands and concluded that they have no time for German car reliability nonsense. Mazda's ability to build cars with better, more expensive-looking interiors than Toyota (and BMW) is also not to be ignored.

When launched here, the 5-seater CX-60 will be aimed at the imported (CBU, Japan) Toyota Harrier, which starts from RM 274,000 to RM 277,000, powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Dynamic Force engine.