Mazda CX-80 D50e GT 2025 Review

As the mid-priced variant of the GT trim level, the 2025 Mazda CX-80 D50e GT retails from $71,200 plus on-road costs (ORCs), putting it pretty much in the middle of Mazda’s aspiring Large Product Group (LPG) portfolio.

The GT trim sits above the entry level Pure and mid-spec Touring grades, while this D50e turbo-diesel GT sits above the G40e GT turbo-petrol variant ($69,200 plus ORCs) in price but below the P50e GT plug-in hybrid ($82,250 plus ORCs).

But the CX-80 GT comes with most of the luxuries and niceties the average family could want. Leather upholstery, heated power-adjustable front seats, dual 12.3-inch screens, a heated steering wheel, powered tailgate, 20-inch alloys, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, heated second row, a panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, tri-zone climate control and a head-up display are all included, along with body-coloured arches, memory driver’s seat and wireless phone projection.

Under the bonnet you’ll find a 3.3-litre turbo-diesel inline six rumbling out 187kW and 550Nm, sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.

Mazda boldly promotes the LPG as being ‘all-hybrid’, which is frankly a bit rich seeing as both the petrol and diesel sixes are mild hybrids and can’t travel on electricity – coasting and a few feet of creeping is about as good as it gets on that front. Want to be able to travel on battery power? Get the plug-in hybrid.

On the safety front, the CX-80 was the second-best-performing model tested by ANCAP in 2024, netting an overall score of 87.6 per cent thanks to a pleasingly consistent showing across all four fields of testing: 92% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 84% for vulnerable road user protection, and 83% for its safety assists.

Headline safety gear on all CX-80s include 10 airbags, a 360-degree camera, advanced autonomous emergency braking front and rear, blind spot monitoring with safe exit assist, driver attention alert and monitoring, all the obligatory lane assist gismos and all the usual collision warning and avoidance suspects.

When viewed head-on or from a front three-quarter angle, the 2025 Mazda CX-80 D50e GT is quite the imposing beastie with its high bonnet line, unimpressed-looking front fascia and cab-back silhouette, but the latter doesn’t last long as you trace around the side and see the sheer length of its body.

That huge wheelbase liberates a heap of room in the second row and yields a respectable third row, behind which you’ll find a boot that can still be used when all seven seats are in play.

The second and third rows both fold flat to provide a vast load space, though it’s not as expansive as the wide-body CX-90 for obvious reasons.

Up front there’s plenty of room for even the larger Aussie to get comfortable, while the driver scores a car-like driving position with plenty of adjustment for the steering column and a refreshing reach to the pedals – too many SUVs position the pedals too close to the driver.

So it’s bold to look at, comfortable to sit in, practical and easy on the eye once inside, but what about the drive?

The star of the show here is the engine – that big 3.3-litre turbo-diesel rumbles away as only a straight-six diesel can, and it pulls hard right across the rev range with plenty of off-boost torque on tap when the turbo pauses for breath on throttle tip-in.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is a better match for this engine than the equivalent petrol and helps make the most of the donk’s immense grunt with quick and intuitive gear changes.

Mazda’s claim of 5.2L/100km on the combined cycle for diesel CX-80s is ambitious but not outlandish. We averaged 6.0L/100km in the D50e GT, across a week that encompassed plenty of errands, some country miles, and all the other usual road-testing activities.

Ride comfort both around town and on the open road is reasonable and vastly superior to the CX-60, without being anything to shout about. It’s acceptable and largely family-friendly, but by no means class-leading.

It might be better than the CX-60, but the 2025 Mazda CX-80 D50e GT is nowhere near rewriting the large SUV rule book.

Yes, it’s big and roomy for the most part, but the aperture of the doors is on the small side. This can be a problem for those with mobility issues or generally big proportions, especially up front where the B-pillar is too far forward in relation to how far the seat goes back.

Given Mazda’s overarching intent for LPG, the CX-80’s ride needs to be better than just reasonable and it’s clear more work could have gone into the spring and damper tunes, especially at the rear which feels noticeably softer than the front.

The resulting handling needs to be sharper too. A silver lining of the CX-90’s overly firm suspension is its crisp (for a large SUV) and accurate handling, but the CX-80 has no such traits.

This SUV is aimed at comfort first and foremost, which we feel is something of a mistake – it doesn’t have to be as sharp as the CX-90, but a bit of dynamic talent would be a welcome inclusion given the strength of the engine and the all-wheel-drive system.

As sampled with other LPG products, the eight-speed transmission is an adept performer once rolling but can be quite shuddery and lurchy at low speeds. This can make parking a tricky affair if it’s busy and the spot you’re targeting is on the tighter side.

And we’re not massive fans of the BMW iDrive-style infotainment system. Admittedly it presents well and is good to look at, but it can prove a bit fiddly in operation, particularly on rougher country roads.

If you’re after a premium-oriented but still semi-affordable large SUV with a point of difference, then you could do worse than the 2025 Mazda CX-80 D50e GT.

Its engine is by far and away the star of the show and the GT trim is the pick of the litter for those attracted by Mazda’s promise of an upmarket family hauler, in that it has everything you could reasonably want without being excessive or unnecessarily expensive.

The catch is, however, the rest of the package is so middle-of-the-road there’s no other massively redeeming feature – while acceptable, the suspension feels underdone, the transmission doesn’t like low-speed manoeuvring, and the handling is nowhere near as good as something like a Kia Sorento.

It certainly looks more upmarket than the Kia and other mainstream competition like the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Pathfinder, and the GT admittedly has some nicer materials inside, but that’s it.

The only reason this author can see why you’d buy a CX-80, in general, is because you’re after a big engine and perhaps an upmarket image, without plonking for a BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi.

2025 Mazda CX-80 D50e GT at a glance:
Price: $71,200 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.3-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel mild hybrid
Output: 187kW/550Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 137g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2024)

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