The first Mazda based on the Japanese automaker's large platform, the CX-60 is pretty heavy from the outset. From a little under 1.7 tons to just over 2 tons, the two-row SUV from Hofu isn't a ballerina.
Pictured in European specification, the e-Skyactiv D i-Activ AWD Takumi in the featured video tips the scales at 1,959 kilograms (4,319 pounds). Even so, the CX-60 isn't afraid of taking corners. From the Toyo Proxes Sport rubber shoes to the Kinematic Posture Control system that brakes the inner rear wheel to suppress body roll in the twisties, there is a lot to like about this car.
Mazda didn't forget to give it a proper front suspension either. All versions flaunt double wishbones fore and multi-link struts out back. On the downside, adaptive damping isn't available, not even as an optional extra.
Be that as it may, the CX-60 passes the moose test at the required speed. The good folks at km77.com call themselves that way because 77 kilometers per hour (make that 48 miles per hour) are required for a pass. Step it up to 78, and the CX-60 develops an appetite for cones.
The diesel-powered example doesn't feel particularly agile in the moose test, according to the test driver, yet it makes up for it with great response to steering input, especially during turn-in. He also claims the electronic stability control system is perfectly calibrated for this vehicle. The test driver further notes little in the way of understeer and oversteer, plus moderate body roll.
As for the slalom test, the CX-60 needed 25.4 seconds to finish the job, which puts it on the same level as the Opel Astra Elegance with the 1.2-liter turbo gasser. The Peugeot e-2008 GT Pack took 25.3 to finish the slalom, whereas the BMW X1 sDrive18d took 25.5 seconds.
A mid-size sport utility vehicle based on a rear-biased platform, the CX-60 targets the kind of customers who would normally consider a Bimmer or a Merc in this segment. Mazda also aims to steal customers away from lesser premium-oriented brands like Audi, whose front-biased Q5 crossover is a tad smaller.
All engine choices available to configure today come with a degree of hybrid assistance, be it mild hybrid for the six-cylinder mills or plug-in hybrid for the four-cylinder lump. Not long now, the CX-60 will welcome a further straight-six engine in the form of the e-Skyactiv X. Similar to the 2.0-liter version, the 3.0-liter sixer uses homogeneous charge compression ignition for a leaner air-fuel mixture for better fuel efficiency.
The e-Skyactiv D of the CX-60 in the video below is the higher-output version of two currently available. It comes standard with all-wheel drive as opposed to RWD for the lesser tune. On full song, the mild-hybrid turbo diesel churns out a respectable 254 ps (250 hp or 187 kW) and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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