Australia’s extra-early announcement of Mazda’s plush SUV gives a good idea of what the NZ distributor can snare.

DETAIL about the CX-60, an upmarket medium sports utility that will next year be the first Mazda sold here with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, has been spilled by our mates across the ditch.

In addition to sharing what versions it plans to avail from June 2023, Mazda Australia has also detailed the cost – and that’s likely to pique interest from Kiwis considering the car, given the flagship selling across the Tasman will price at the equivalent of $94,000 in PHEV format, while the cheapest is just under $65k. Those prices do not include on-roads.

That’s not necessarily a pointer to any strategy adopted by Mazda New Zealand, which so far has only said it is taking CX-60 but not offered any more detail than that.

Nonetheless, going by past behaviours by the two markets, it’s quite probable the selection here will be less expansive.

Australia has settled on three powertrains – four-cylinder normally-aspirated 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid petrol offering 76 kilometres’ pure electric range, plus 3.3-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel – across three trim levels (Evolve, GT and Azami) with a choice of four option packs, depending on variant.

The highest-trimmed CX-60 will be the most expensive four-door Mazdas ever sold in Australia. 

The car is the first new Mazda on the company's 'Large' architecture, based on a rear-wheel-drive layout (but with standard all-wheel-drive in Australia), and a focus on luxurious features and trims. It sizes between the CX-5 and the CX-8.

 The six-cylinder engines are aided by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to drive all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The petrol makes 209kW/450Nm and the diesel is rated at 187kW/550Nm.

They are capable of 0-100kmh acceleration times of 6.9 and 7.3 seconds respectively, and braked towing capacities of 2500kg and 2000kg.Fuel economy for the diesel is claimed at 4.9L/100km in mixed driving.

The plug-in hybrid combines its engine with a 100kW electric motor, 17.8kWh battery and eight-speed auto, for combined outputs of 241kW and 500Nm – more than any previous road car in the company's history. 

The claimed electric-pure range figure of 76km is from testing in Australia, with driving at speeds up to 100kmh. That regime also provides a fuel use claim of 2.1 litres per 100km, and a 0-100kmh acceleration time of 5.9 seconds.

Mazda says the PHEV be charged from empty to full in 2.5 hours on a 7.2kW AC home wallbox. The PHEV requires 95-octane premium unleaded whereas the petrol six will accept 91RON petrol.

 Standard equipment on Australia’s entry-level edition include a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, 7.0- or 12.3-inch instrument displays, eight speakers, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, synthetic leather and suede seats, and a suite of advanced safety technology.

The next-step GT adds black highlights, black 20-inch wheels, black leather seats, a widescreen instrument cluster across the range, panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats, a hands-free power tailgate, electric steering column adjustment.

Aussie’s flagship, Azami, adds adaptive LED headlights, bright or body-coloured highlights, ventilated front seats, nappa leather upholstery, an upgraded 360-degree camera.

Four option packages are available, from Vision Technology and Luxury packs on the Evolve, to two trim packs for the Azami: SP, which adds black accents and tan seats, or Takumi, which adds white seat upholstery and wood/cloth interior highlights.

 The Drive.com.au website says the Mazda CX-60’s pricing in Australia places it in line with medium luxury SUVs from Germany (Audi Q5 and BMW X3), Sweden (Volvo XC60), Japan (Lexus NX) and South Korea.