NZ market preferences for plush battery-involved SUV adopted by neighbour

ADDITIONAL information about the technology going into a large luxury Mazda sports utility arriving next year and its pre-sales testing in Australia has divulged.

The source is Mazda Australia, which is following the New Zealand path in steering to taking the CX-60, Mazda’s first rear-wheel-drive and longitudinal six-cylinder passenger car in two decades, in just electric-assisted formats.

That’s a u-turn on an initial strategy that would have seen our neighbour start with fully combustion engine editions.

Now the Australian pitch is with the PHEV – already confirmed for this country as well – plus two mild-hybrid set-ups; respectively in petrol and diesel. The hybrid petrol also appears to be in Mazda New Zealand’s thoughts moreso than the diesel.

When it announced intention for CX-60 back in April, compression ignition seemed a low status select, perhaps because of image issue surrounding the CX-5 diesel, which started well but proved troublesome and was pulled from sale when the car refreshed earlier this year. At that point diesel accounted for just one in every 10 CX-5 sales.

Mazda across the Tasman intends to have CX-60 in play in the first half of next year. When it last spoke about the car, Mazda NZ indicated a mid-2023 launch for here.

Australia has initially said it would have CX-60 before the end of 2022, but that was in a purely conventional internal combustion form, now off the table.

The PHEV will be Mazda’s first with petrol-electric drive and will be the first of four premium electrified sports utility wagons intended to be in circulation by 2025.

The mains-fed electric-assisted edition doesn’t give opportunity to enjoy Mazda’s new six-cylinder powertrain, as it instead pairs a 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G four-cylinder with a 100kW electric motor and a 17.8kWh high-capacity lithium-ion battery.

The result is combined outputs of 241kW and 500Nm, enough to make it the most powerful Mazda road car to date. A pure EV driving range in excess of 60kms is cited, likewise a 5.8 second 0-100kmh time.

Mazda Australia has been conducting a testing programme with the car, with specific consideration given to powertrain stress-testing, towing capability, performance and quality assurance.

Comment from the Australian operation via its website said “more than 30,000 kilometres will be covered during the testing phase”, with all data to be sent back to the brand’s research and development headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan.

“Australia is considered a key market for contributing to the worldwide vehicle testing regime due to its unique road composition and climatic conditions,” Mazda Australia said.

The mild hybrid models use a 48 volt system and have turbocharged six-cylinder engines, both of 3.3-litres’ capacity. The petrol is good for 209kW and 450Nm and the diesel generates 187kW and 550Nm. Both offer the i-Activ all-wheel-drive system, and pair to a new eight-speed automatic.

CX-60 is designed to be a luxury model so is outfitted accordingly, with Nappa leather trim and numerous prestige features. It also takes a hands-free power tailgate, panoramic sunroof, a full repertoire of safety features and is the first Mazda with a fully-digital instrument cluster. It takes a large infotainment touchscreen offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In Australia, CX-60 will be offered in three trim levels – Evolve, GT and Azami (their equivalent of our Takami) specifications - with wireless phone charging, a powered boot and keyless entry expected to be standard to all.

CX-60 will form the basis of three other sports utility wagon models that Mazda NZ has expressed interest in. These are a long-wheelbase, seven-seat CX-80, as well as 'wide-body' two-row CX-70 and three-row CX-90 SUVs.

CX-80 has been cited by Mazda as being for Europe and Japan while the odd-numbered cars are primarily intended for the United States, yet none are apparently wholly specific to those places. That’s unlike another newly released car in the family, the CX-50, which is only going to be for North America.

Measuring 4745mm long and 1890mm wide, CX-60 is about 200mm longer and 50mm wider than the CX-5. The additional size enables up to 50mm of extra shoulder room, and a larger 570-litre boot (vs 438L in the CX-5).

Mazda has previously described the CX-60 as a step up from the CX-5; in status as much as size.

“Customers reach a point where they want something more luxurious, whatever that means to them, so they say ‘thanks Mazda, I’ve enjoyed all that, but I want to move up, to reward myself’, whatever it is, so they flow out of the brand to somewhere else,” a senior Mazda Australia spokesman is reported to have told Australian media attending the model’s recent international launch, in Portugal.

“We think that’s a good market to say, ‘hey, we’re back in the game for you guys, so have a look at this.’"