Mazda teases premium CX-60 PHEV

MAZDA says it will debut its all-new CX-60 plug-in hybrid SUV next month, premium variant one of two Large Product Group offerings expected from the Japanese brand over the next two years.

The Hiroshima-based marque says the five-seat model “demonstrates Mazda’s commitment to a multi-solution approach to sustainable mobility and the principle of the right solution at the right time”, the statement underscoring previous remarks from Mazda that says it believes more can be done to extend the lifespan of the internal combustion engine.

The Mazda CX-60 PHEV will spearhead the European introduction of plug-in hybrid models with a powertrain that combines a 2.5-litre, straight-four gasoline engine with a “performance-enhancing electric motor”. Combined system power is rated “in excess of 223kW”. 

GoAuto understands the model is confirmed for Australia and expected to arrive in local showrooms toward the end of 2022. Mazda says its first PHEV driveline with “offer smooth and powerful acceleration giving the driver greater confidence and driving enjoyment in the widest possible range of driving scenarios”.

The CX-60 will lead a portfolio of four premium SUV models Mazda will release over the coming years. The CX-60, which will be slightly larger than the current CX-5, will be joined by CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 variants in due course. All are under consideration for the local market.

For obviously reasons, the smaller CX-50, produced only in left-hand drive at Mazda’s Alabama (USA) plant, is not under consideration for the local market.

Of the high-riding models expected to appear in local showrooms, the CX-60 and CX-70 will offer seating for five across two rows with the larger CX-80 and CX-90 offering seven seats across three rows. 

As the CX-30 does currently, the four new variants are expected to plug the size and specification gaps between existing single-digit SUV models, but with a more premium look and feel. This means the CX-60 and CX-70 will slot between the current CX-5 and CX-8 whereas the CX-80 and CX-90 should slot above the CX-8 and CX-9 respectively.

Speaking to GoAuto late last year, a Mazda Australia spokesperson said the next-generation large architecture project will be “a very different offering” to the Mazda SUV range of today, but confirmed the range will “continue to live alongside” the CX-5 and CX-8.

Despite Mazda’s local arm claiming to have the “broadest product offering of any market globally”, GoAuto understands that the CX-9 could be on the chopping block as the model faces succession in North America. The CX-90 has already been confirmed to be replacing the CX-9 in North America by the end of next year (2023), leaving the distinct possibility that the seven-seat Mazda SUV range Down Under will be formed by the CX-8, CX-80 and CX-90 from 2024 onwards.

All of Mazda’s new-generation SUV models will underpinned by a new-generation platform and will usher in a series of new powertrains, including a pair of inline six-cylinders – one petrol and one diesel – boosted by a 48V mild hybrid system, a turbocharged high-performance version of the petrol six and at least one plug-in hybrid petrol four-cylinder.

“We are committed to offering Australian drivers as many choices as possible,” Mazda’s spokesperson said. “We look forward to sharing more information soon.”

Mazda will also introduce a revised CX-5 to the Australian market within the next month. See the links below for further details.