9 January 2024
I must admit, it has been a while since I have slid behind the wheel of a Mazda. So, what better way to fully immerse myself in the world of Mazda than with the highly anticipated launch of the CX-60. It is with this release that Mazda offers the ultimate SUV driving experience with two distinct engine options in their first all-hybrid range.
My first full hybrid taster was with the Mazda CX-60 3.3 Homura. As my eyes stretched to be able to take all this ‘car’ in, the first thing that came into my mind was how the bonnet seemed to glide away from the main body, giving the vehicle a certain type of grace and elegance.
Popping the bonnet, we were treated to what lay beneath – an impressive High Powered 3.3l hybrid Turbo petrol engine. This was equally matched with Mazda’s Skyactiv-Drive 8 speed Automatic transmission. We were ready to do to the hybrid howl with this six-cylinder power train, which has the ability to push out 209Kw at a rpm range between 5,000-6,000 and a maximum torque of 450Nm at a rpm range between 2,000-3,500. Mazda claim the engine can complete 100km with just 8.2 litres.
One thing to note is this six-cylinder engine could run on Unleaded 91 RON or greater up to E10 where the smaller four-cylinder 2.5 PHEV option had to run on Unleaded 95RON or greater.
Mazda Care has a comprehensive 5-year 100,000-kilometre service at no cost, and a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
All this for starting from $81,990 plus on road costs.
After a few days putting the CX-60 3.3 Homura through its Auckland traffic paces, it was back to the Mazda distribution centre to swap over into the CX-60 2.5 PHEV. This is a 2.5 litre four cylinder + electric motor, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting much performance. Boy, I was wrong! My jaw dropped at how this smaller engine combined with the electric motor was pushing out more power and torque than the bigger 3.3 Mild Hybrid! It was pushing out an impressive 241 Kw at 6,000 rpm and 500Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Yes, that’s right, an impressive 500Nm of torque.
Plus, you can travel up to 63km using only electricity, thanks to a 17.8kWh battery pack. That’s almost enough for most kiwi daily commutes, which average around 30km a day, so almost two days on electricity for the conservative driver.
Comparing the models, I noticed a difference in performance immediately. If I was choosing between them, it would be the Homura PHEV for me. With its combined fuel consumption of 2.3 litre per 100 kilometres, it is only an approx. $6k leap to upgrade from the Hybrid (at $81,990 + ORC) to the PHEV ($87,990 + ORC) - so it wouldn’t take long to see the fuel savings come rushing in.
Pros
2.3 litres per 100 kilometres for the CX-60 2.5PHEV Homura was impressive.
Cons
Transmission seemed a little bit twitchy on the upshifts.