It wasn’t too long ago that Mazda teased the CX-60 SUV which is the next strategic piece in the company’s push towards enhancing its presence in the utility vehicle market. With the smaller CX-50 poised to make a splash in the U.S., the CX-60 is looking to achieve the same feat across the pond in European markets.
New CX-60 Platform Embraces Rear Wheel Drive
The CX-60 is a bigger SUV offering and that extra size means a new platform with the CX-60 being the first of these new CX models to use an all-new rear-wheel-drive-focused platform. This platform has been an architecture that’s not only been long-awaited by Mazda fans, but has also generated a pretty sizable rumor mill about what it will exactly underpin. For now, it appears that SUV offerings will be the first recipients of this platform with the debut of the CX-60.
However, the CX-60 will not have the inline-six that’s also supposed to be paired with this platform and will instead (for now) be powered by a 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder which is also used in the CX-5, CX-50, and the CX-30. In this instance, it’s paired with a 134 hp electric motor which allows the combination to produce 323 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. These figures would make the CX-60 the most powerful Mazda model the company has ever produced and also allow the CX-60 to make the sprint to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds. An eight-speed automatic is the sole transmission offering here and while the platform itself has RWD underpinnings, the CX-60’s will be all-wheel-drive only due to a multi-plate clutch engaging the front wheels.
Luxury Defines This CX
With some of the CX-60’s features being tailor-made for a European audience, it’s no surprise that the interior is bathed in luxury. Mazda showed two flavors of the cabin with the lighter colored CX-60 featuring splashes of real maple wood trim and metal accents. The blackened interior is the sportier option and blends dark leather accents with metal pieces replacing some of the wood accents. Mazda is obviously shooting for a diverse range of customers here, and the interior offers other goodies like real Nappa leather seating, a Kakenui wrapped dashboard, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions.
The other big thing here is a novel facial recognition system that supposedly allows occupants to set various settings including climate and seating. The CX-60 is the first production model to have such a feature, but we’ll have to wait until we have an opportunity to sample the CX-60 for ourselves to see just how effective the system really is. The exterior styling follows the same script that we have seen in other Mazda utility vehicles with a clean set of lines and curves. The front fascia does feature a new set of LED accent lights which snake their way into the grille work.
When Can I Buy One?
As mentioned, Mazda has not revealed whether it will be bringing the CX-60 to the U.S. or if it’s even considering such a move. If you’re a buyer in Europe though, the first CX-60s will make their way to dealerships in that part of the world later this year. U.S. buyers will get a consolation prize to make up for the CX-60’s probable absence from our shores, with the CX-60’s platform being used to help create two more models the CX-70 and the flagship CX-90 which will replace the aging CX-9 as the company’s flagship utility offering.
Look for the CX-9 to be the one that will bring the vaunted inline-six engine to our shores with the CX-70 potentially giving buyers the option of choosing between the inline-six and the smaller four-cylinder for performance options. It will be interesting to see how the big picture looks once Mazda has all the remaining pieces put into place, but we think it will certainly be worth the wait.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.