Hiroshima says its most powerful road car yet is a competitor for German elite brands - and it’s been priced accordingly in a market of interest to Kiwis.

TALK of the Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid sports utility, the CX-60, being a step up in not just technology but also premium-ness might mean it might also push the brand into a higher pricing sphere.

Already confirmed as a starter in this market, the five-chair car was described by its maker in an overnight European markets’ unveiling as being tasked with taking Hiroshima more upmarket than it has ever gone before.

In tune with that comment, pricing for the United Kingdom has already been announced.

Notwithstanding that direct currency conversions are inevitably a perilous business, if that formula was accurate then this could stand to be a $83,000 or higher product.

If accurate, the model would therefore theoretically start around $11k above the national distributor’s priciest passenger market product of the moment, the $72,090 CX-9 three-row SUV when presenting in plush Takami spec.

There has yet to be comment from Mazda NZ about this or when CX-60 will arrive here, though production is already under way.

Hiroshima, however, seems to be making plain that its intentions for growth also require a pitch into the semi- and full-blown premium sectors.

The similar-sized and specified editions of the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC sports utilities have been cited as rivals for CX-60 in overseas’ comment. Also, Mazda has said this new car sets the template for further premium products.

In the UK, in addition to dressing in Takami (which is ‘Takumi’ there), the car also has Exclusive-Line and Homura trims.

CX-60 will debut with a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, badge e-SkyActiv, that makes it the most powerful road-going Mazda yet.

It’s not the only powertrain choice. Also coming into production are new straight-six engines - one petrol, one diesel, both offered in two different power outputs.

Though most versions will be in all-wheel-drive, the chassis has been designed around a front-engine, rear-drive architecture, so engines are mounted longitudinally. While the CX-60 PHEV comes with fulltime all-wheel drive, the petrol and diesel models will be built with rear- or all-wheel drive.

All powertrains marry to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The PHEV employs a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, producing up to 143kW and 261Nm of torque. That's mated to a 100kW electric motor that can produce 250Nm of torque from a standstill.

Combined, the maximum outputs are quoted as 244kW and 500Nm of torque, allowing the SUV to reach 100kmh from a standstill in just 5.8 seconds.

The electric motor draws power from a 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery mounted in the floor of the car within the wheelbase. Mazda quotes an electric range of up to 63 kilometres depending on specification.

As with all plug-in hybrids, the official fuel consumption figure of 1.5-1.6 litres per 100km is only achievable if the car is plugged in regularly. The optimal CO2 emissions rating is 33-37grams per kilometre.

Full details of the fossil fuel-dedicated engines have yet to be released, but Mazda has indicated both will be assisted by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Also, the 3.0-litre petrol engine, badged e-Skyactiv X, will be naturally aspirated. The diesel is a 3.3-litre unit, designed to confirm with forthcoming Euro 7 emissions legislation.

CX-60 also introduces a sophisticated suspension design. Only a passive system has been developed thus far, but that includes a development of the Kinematic Posture Control featuring already on the MX-5 sports car where it enhances driver engagement. Putting the ‘sport’ into SUV sounds intriguing.

The model also debuts a brake-by-wire system to mix regenerative braking with friction braking.

The car also has drive modes: Normal, Sport, Off-Road and Towing (the CX-60 can tow up to 2500kg) for all, with the addition of an EV driving mode for the PHEV.

It also showcases a Driver Personalisation System to assist with setting the perfect driving position - and automatically adjusting it depending on who is in the driver's seat by using facial recognition.

The trim is also plush; highest spend delivers bespoke stitched trim on the dashboard, maple wood in the doors and lots of other quite special materials.

It has, of course, an infotainment screen in the middle of the dashboard operated by a rotary wheel on centre console and there are high-quality physical controls for the air conditioning above a subtle wireless charging pad.

The cabin appears to be expansive and the boot is big, with 570 litres’ capacity with the rear seats in use. The back pews split and fold nearly flat to create a large smooth load space. That figure applies to the hybrid as well as the petrol and diesel models because the large battery pack is mounted under the main cabin.

It potentially bodes well that CX-60 looks like an evolution of the CX-5; the latter has since arrival 10 years ago established as Mazda’s best-selling model in NZ and is about to also gain a freshen-up.

Despite the visual linkages, the CX-60 is a larger car in all directions and there's a more pronounced 'cab-back' look to the silhouette. It also displays new grille design and, while the headlight design is similar to that used elsewhere in the Mazda range, it's a new approach with the two elements stacked instead of next to each other, while a distinctive daytime running light graphic encroaches on the grille.

Body-coloured door sills, bumper trim and wheel arch surrounds are a signature of the Takumi seen today. Those elements on the entry models are in black. Alloy wheels are either 18-inch in diameter or 20-inch. The car launches with a new signature colour, called Rhodium White; the colour of the car whose images were leaked yesterday.

In 2023, we'll see the new seven-seat version called the CX-80 - a version of which will be developed for North America and badged CX-90 (whereas Stateside’s version of CX-60 is CX-70). In both instances, the odd-numbered models are slightly wider in the body.