Mazda CX-60 2023 Review

There are nine models in the 2023 Mazda CX-60 range of premium five-seat SUVs. There are three trim levels – Evolve, GT and Azami – which each offer three powertrains choices: 3.3-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel mild-hybrid and 2.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in petrol-electric hybrid.

All engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and drive all four wheels.

Pricing starts at $59,800 and tops out at $85,500 plus on-road costs. Until the CX-90 turns up in August, the CX-60 is the most expensive Mazda SUV ever sold in Australia.

Here we’re focusing on the mid-spec GT turbo-petrol – or G40e – which is the combination expected to be the biggest seller, starting at $67,800 plus ORCs. But we’ll also touch on the diesel and PHEV in our drive impressions.

The G40e is the cheapest model in each grade. The diesel, or D50e, adds $2000 and the PHEV, or P50e, is $12,500 more expensive.

The pricing – and the vehicle it attaches to, of course – reinforces Mazda’s aim of becoming a premium brand capable of commanding larger profit margins from its cars.

So no surprise the CX-60 is in the pricing vicinity of a lot of Audi Q5 models, a few BMW X3s, the Lexus NX and Genesis GV70.

The CX-60 is also priced near the battery-electric Tesla Model Y medium SUV that is obliterating all the above orthodox SUVs in the sales race.

But it’s not just about snatching new buyers. The CX-60 also offers loyal Mazda customers a place to progress beyond the CX-5, rather than head to other brands.

Externally, the 2023 Mazda CX-60 GT is differentiated from its siblings by its combination of 20-inch black metallic alloy wheels, gloss black honeycomb grille and mirror caps and body-colour wheel-arches.

The petrol engine is denoted by a ‘Skyactiv G’ badge on the rump. There’s also a retro-cool ‘inline 6’ shared with the diesel on the front quarter.

Standard GT equipment includes keyless entry and push-button start, dual-zone climate control, leather front seats with power adjustment (10-way driver and eight-way passenger), front and outer rear seat heating, leather wrapping of the steering wheel and the small ball of a gear knob, Mazda-first power steering wheel adjustment, a remote power tailgate and another Mazda-first panoramic sunroof.

A temporary steel spare wheel and tyre is standard equipment, with further back-up provided by tyre pressure monitoring.

You can delve into more detail of the equipment lists including paint choices and four options packs. There’s also a bunch of accessories as reported on our separate accessories story.

The CX-60 comes protected by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years’ roadside assistance.

The service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. All three powertrains come with capped-price servicing programs. Over the first five scheduled visits, the G40e powertrain is the most expensive, with the fourth visit alone costing $1268 because of a scheduled spark plug change.

The first five services average out at $673 for the G40e, $643.40 for the D50e and $518 for the PHEV.

The 2023 Mazda CX-60 launches in Australia with a freshly minted five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing by sister organisation Euro NCAP.

That’s an important validation for Mazda, as the CX-60 rides on a brand-new scalable architecture that will spawn three more SUV models in quick succession, starting with the CX-90 and to be followed by the CX-80 in 2024. The CX-70 is yet to be confirmed.

The CX-60 comes with the expected safety gear including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with day or night pedestrian and cyclist detection and a full suite of airbags including a front-centre airbag (to prevent head knocks between front seat passengers) and rear-side airbags.

New safety tech for Mazda introduced with CX-60 include a see-through view for the 360-degree camera (standard only with Azami), traffic sign recognition and a safe exit warning for passengers. Hill descent control makes it on to a Mazda passenger vehicle for the first time.

The CX-60 has a whole bunch of familiar driver assist systems. It can adaptively set its speed, self-steer in its lane, monitor blind spots, avoid or minimise turn-across and reversing collisions and warn the driver if it judges attention is wandering.

The lane centring and keeping was mostly unobtrusive on the highway, where it works best. It is switchable when not needed.

However, one specific CX-60 twice activated its audio-visual warning on a minor country road within minutes for no justifiable reason. The first time it might have been spooked by a car coming the other way around a blind corner (it was on the correct side of the road). The second time only shadows and/or different-coloured bitumen patches could have set it off.

Multiple camera views and parking sensors help manoeuvre in car parks. LED headlights come with high beam control (and also have an adaptive function on Azami).

There are three child seat top tether strap points in the second row and two ISOFIX mounts outboard.

Mazda’s gone fully digital for the 2023 Mazda CX-60’s infotainment, eschewing the analogue dials that used to populate much of the instrument cluster.

But it has retained the basic ‘hands off’ ethos that it introduced with the Mazda3 in 2019.

The new 12.3-inch centre dash screen is controlled by the traditional commander dial and the new 12.3-inch instrument cluster isn’t stuffed with submenus or fundamentally configurable. (It has two views determined by whether cruise control is active.)

There’s also a head-up display (HUD) to keep the driver looking forward as much as possible.

Speaking of eyes, the CX-60 introduces a new facial recognition system to set driver preferences for seat, steering wheel, external mirror positioning and the HUD.

It’s the work of minutes for the car to register the driver and then each time you settle in everything moves to where you’ve set it.

Admittedly, there were some dramas getting one car to register a presence. But another had no such qualms and worked as intended, although I immediately lowered the seating position it recommended for me.

Other tech bits and bobs worth noting include wireless smartphone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection (the latter for the first time in a Mazda) and Bluetooth streaming. There are four USB-C points – two up front and two in the rear.

The CX-60 GT comes with a 12-speaker Bose audio system and AM/FM and digital radio sources.

When news first started leaking out that Mazda was developing a new generation of inline six-cylinder engines for the CX-60, there was a fair bit of head scratching.

In the Aussie context I6s are associated with Holden Kingswoods and Ford Falcons. But I6s have also been back in vogue among luxury brands with Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar both abandoning V6s for them of late. BMW, of course, never went away from the concept.

Still, in an era where brand-new internal combustion engines are rare and the focus on battery-electric powertrains overwhelming, this is a big play by Mazda. Especially considering it has never before built an I6 and its last V6 went out of service with the Mazda 626 20 years ago.

In the 2023 Mazda CX-60 GT G40e, the 3.3-litre DOHC 24-valve turbocharged engine – with some assistance from an e-motor sitting in the transmission tunnel between the engine and the auto – makes 209kW from 5000-6000rm and 450Nm between 2000 and 3500rpm.

The 0-100km/h claim is 6.9 seconds, which is one second slower than the PHEV and 0.4sec quicker than the diesel.

The diesel makes 187kW at 3750rpm and 550Nm from 1500-2400rpm. Mazda’s first PHEV is also the most powerful powertrain it has ever sold in Australia (until the CX-90 launches in August) with a combined 241kW at 6000rpm and 500Nm at 4000rpm.

The CX-60’s transmission adds its own nuances by using a wet clutch rather than a torque converter. The permanent all-wheel drive system is based around an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch and has a rear bias.

The official combined-cycle fuel consumption claim for the 2023 Mazda CX-60 GT G40e is 7.4L/100km.

In the real world during a 34km drive loop on the launch that included a bit of suburban driving, undulating country roads and even a traffic snarl in Ulladulla’s main street, the G40e came in with an average real-world return of 9.3L/100km.

It achieves its fuel number with the help of regenerative braking and a start/stop system that works very smoothly thanks to the 48V mild-hybrid system’s integrated starter-generator.

The G40e can run on the cheapest 91 RON fuel and has a 58-litre fuel tank.

On the same loop the PHEV returned 3.5L/100km and 21.5kWh/100km (versus the 2.1L/100km and 14.8kWh/100km claims), while on a longer and more relaxed drive route the diesel came in at 6.0L/100km (versus its 4.9L/100km claim).

Everything written in this section of the review is based on driving the 2023 Mazda CX-60 GT 40e and other models in the range for a limited time on unfamiliar roads.

It’s also framed within a respect for Mazda’s consistent high-quality design and engineering since it rebirthed itself in the early 2000s.

Mazda has chucked its considerable skills and resources at this critical vehicle. New platform, new powertrains and new tech all wrapped up in a bold new cab-backward style intended to capture a more affluent audience than has ever considered Mazda before.

But it is a disappointment to drive.

The foremost issue is ride quality. On 20-inch wheels and low-profile rubber it is stiffly aggressive. It is unacceptably harsh at low speed on typically grotty suburban surfaces and unhappily intrusive at higher speeds. The inputs were constant and their severity a shock.

But there is a proviso to note here. The G40e powertrain was sampled with two different 235/50 20-inch tyre choices. The Toyo Proxes were notably more compliant than the Bridgestone Alenza, which were harsher. Both transmitted too much bump-thump and road rumble to the cabin. The ride was worse sitting in the rear, close to the axle line.

The entry-level CX-60 Evolve sat on 235/60 18-inch Yokohama Advans and that combo provided the most comfortable ride of the lot. It was still firm but not annoyingly intrusive at low speeds.

The CX-60 does not come with adaptive dampers. Mazda says it’s not justifiable at this price point. It’s a decision that should be reconsidered. Based on this experience, the double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension tune needs to be at least rethought for Australia.

On smoother surfaces and sweeping corners the CX-60 provides more than a glimpse of the capabilities within the package; it handles and steers with stable authority and communication. It’s not so much nimble as rock solid.

That solidity is reflective of a fundamental feeling of weight that is evident from the start of a drive. At around 2.0 tonnes, the GT 40e is no lightweight. Its electric-assist power steering emphasises that by requiring surprising effort even at city speeds. It was more noticeable in the GT D50e, which is about 40kg heavier than the petrol.

The G40e engine does its best work when the speeds are higher, revving hoarsely in that classic six-cylinder way. Despite the turbo and e-motor’s assistance, it’s not gutsy at low engine speeds. It’s smooth enough, but can’t match BMW’s silky sixes for refinement.

The higher-compression diesel is noisier but does a better job at low revs and feels the best all-round fuss-free powertrain of the three. But it has its own issue in that its braked towing capacity is 500kg shy of the two petrol powertrains at 2000kg.

Surprisingly, the PHEV was the least refined powertrain. While it was smooth and quiet in EV mode, it could be caught out by sudden throttle inputs; hesitating, firing up the engine and then slamming down through the gears in search of acceleration.

Like the chassis, it felt in need of more refinement. There was palpable friction in the system, an obvious shudder on a slow uphill climb and a drivetrain clunk decelerating at low speeds.

Mazda went for the wet-clutch arrangement in the auto in search of snappier shifts, and left to its own devices or operated manually by flappy paddles it certainly delivers them. It seems especially busy from tip-in throttle, with lots of changes evident as speeds increase. The aggression of shifts can be adjusted, but it was hard to detect significant change through the modes.

The 2023 Mazda CX-60 probably does go off-road. We didn’t make any such attempts on the launch drive.

It does come with all-wheel drive and hill descent control, but in the spec it’s sold it’s targeted at snow roads and beach tracks.

There’s a lot that is familiar inside the 2023 Mazda CX-60 compared to other CX models. But there’s a lot that’s new as well.

The essential horizontal style, the look of the steering wheel with its busy spokes, the separation of the infotainment screen and instrument cluster – rather than going for the increasingly common single glass curved screen – and the no-touch infotainment screen are all Mazda staples.

But as already mentioned, the CX-60 is the first Mazda to go all-digital screens and it’s also the first to employ that facial recognition system for driver preferences.

All this results in a set of controls that are simple enough to access and control, especially as Mazda has retained enough physical buttons to exercise basic functions like volume on-off and climate controls.

Just like the exterior, the interior really buys into emphasising the powertrain layout.

The centre console that shrouds the transmission and e-motor and separates driver and front seat passenger is simply huge.

For all its size, the centre console doesn’t have that much storage. The space beneath the lidded bin is not generous and there’s no side bins. Two cup holders sit on the console under a nicely damped cover.

The smartphone wireless charger is a shallowly angled shelf at the head of the centre console and my phone went slithering onto the floor more than once under strong acceleration.

It’s the look and feel that’s more impressive about the CX-60 than its utility. Soft-touch materials are spread across the dashboard and anywhere an elbow might rest. Wood veneers add class in the door and centre console.

The seats are generously sized, comfortable but not heavily bolstered in the base or backrest. They are quite firm up front and plusher in the rear. With the amount of adjustment on offer the driver should be able to find the right position. Outward visibility is good, but you do appreciate the sensors advising what’s going on in front of that long bonnet.

Rear seat passengers get better amenities than usual in a Mazda including adjustable air-con vents, two USB-C outlets, door and seatback storage, cup holders in a flip-down arm rest and, in PHEV models, a very handy 1500W three-pin plug.

But legroom is not that generous. While the CX-60 is 165mm longer than a CX-5 at 4740mm, it pays the price for its longitudinal engine layout that squeezes cabin real estate. By contrast, headroom is fine despite the raised seating position.

A decent 477 litres is offered in the boot, expanding to as much as 1726 litres when the 40/20/40-split bench is folded. It’s not class-leading space by any stretch, but it is squared off so that helps.

The 2023 Mazda CX-60 is a vehicle that has definite highs and lows. Its unevenness means it can’t match the expectations created for it by Mazda’s reputation and ambition.

Out of respect for Mazda let’s emphasise again this is a first taste and not a definitive review. But there are warning signs here that the CX-60 has arrived with some tuning still required.

We hope to be corrected by longer exposure to the CX-60 on familiar ground, but right now it is a disappointment that falls short of its premium aspirations and rivals.

2023 Mazda CX-60 GT G40e at a glance:
Price: $67,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.3-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 209kW/450Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 171g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)