2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e Mild-Hybrid Petrol Launch Review

Japanese manufacturer Mazda has forever been the very definition of a little fish in a big pond. For decades, it’s challenged conventional thinking in many ways, with a lineup of high achieving and in some ways, truly unique cars. It likes to do things differently and because of that, while Australian sales are down slightly on 2022, it’s safe to say that things are doing well for Mazda locally. And now, it’s unleashed a new sales attack: ‘Mazda Premium’. We tested the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e at the Australian launch – the first example of Mazda Premium sold globally – to see what it’s all about.

Mazda is no stranger to high-quality finishes and higher-than-rival pricing – just look at the Mazda3 compared to its rivals, for example. The Mazda CX-60 takes things to another level and is the brand’s new offensive towards the higher-end of the market. It rides on a new platform and is armed with a new technological force: a range of inline six petrol and diesel powerplants, as well as a new plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Can it hold a candle to more premium rivals? Let’s find out.

Price & Equipment: 9/10

For now, there are three 2023 Mazda CX-60 models available in Australia: entry-level Evolve, mid-spec GT and top-spec Azami and each is available with petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid power. Pricing kicks off around $66,000 drive away (depending on location) for the Evolve petrol, while the GT petrol costs around $74,000 drive away and the top-spec Azami petrol costs around $80,000 drive away.

Standard equipment on the Evolve includes 18-inch alloy wheels, dusk-sensing automatic LED headlights, auto wipers, ‘Maztex’ synthetic leather upholstery, eight-way manual adjustment for the driver’s seat, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, keyless entry and start with heated and auto-dimming/auto-folding mirrors, an electric tailgate, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, satellite navigation, a 7.0-inch driver’s display screen, a heads-up display, a wireless phone charger, USB-C charging ports, a 150W AC outlet in the rear seat and an eight-speaker sound system.

Safety equipment includes 10 airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assistance, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert (with braking), low-speed rear auto braking, driver attention monitoring, auto high beam, traffic sign recognition, exit warning assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera. The CX-60 range recently earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating, including a record 93 per cent score for child protection and an 89 per cent score for vulnerable road user protection.

Optional for the Evolve are the $4,000 Luxury Package – which adds black full leather trim, heated front seats, power front seat adjustment and driver’s seat and memory position memory – and the $2,000 Vision Technology Package, which adds a 360-degree camera with ‘see-through’ functionality, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, driver monitoring, lane centre assist for semi-autonomous highway driving and front cross-traffic alert.

Moving to the mid-spec GT adds a larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen, black 20-inch wheels, black mirror covers, body-coloured lower cladding, electric steering wheel adjustment, leather upholstery with electrically adjustable front seats, heated front and outer rear seats, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a heated steering wheel, a hands-free tailgate, a driver monitoring system to automatically adjust features like seating position and a panoramic sunroof.

Optional for the GT is the $2,000 Vision Technology Package, which includes the contents of the same package on the Evolve but further adds Matrix adaptive high beam functionality for the headlights.

Finally, the top-spec Azami adds the contents of the GT’s Vision Technology Package as well as nappa leather upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, a driver personalisation system which sets the ideal driving position for the driver based on height, ventilated front seats and extra interior lighting.

Optional for the Azami is the $2,000 SP Package – which adds tan nappa leather trim, black exterior detailing like the wheels, side signature, mirrors and headlight detailing, a suede dashboard fascia and a two-tone steering wheel – or the $2,000 Takumi Package, which adds white nappa leather trim, bright interior detailing and white maple wood console and door trim inserts. All up, a loaded CX-60 Azami costs around $82,000 drive away and we think it’s good value compared to the competition.

There are quite a lot of rivals to the CX-60: the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Volvo XC60, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Jaguar F-Pace, Range Rover Velar, Volkswagen Touareg and Genesis GV70. The CX-60 is good value against all of these rivals – even choosing a six-cylinder GV70 costs a minimum $92,000 drive away and from there, buyers must choose the Luxury Sport Line package to match the CX-60 Azami equipment level, and that’s minimum $100,000 drive away. Meanwhile, a six-cylinder Range Rover Velar P400 costs a minimum $145,000 drive away, plus options.

Even discounting its larger six-cylinder engine, compared to the entry-level version of one of our favourites of the segment – the Volvo XC60 B5 Plus – the CX-60 looks like pretty good value because the top-spec inline six petrol CX-60 Azami (even with the SP or Takumi Package ticked) is around $82,000 drive away. An un-optioned base model XC60 is just shy of $80,000 drive away and even then, buyers must add options to match the Mazda’s equipment levels.

Performance & Economy: 9/10

Under the bonnet of the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e is a new turbocharged 3.3-litre petrol inline-six, which makes 209kW of power (between 5,000rpm and 6,000rpm) and 450Nm of torque (between 2,000rpm and 3,500rpm). It uses 48V mild-hybrid technology for claimed better economy and emissions, while – like all other CX-60 variants – it’s mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive as standard. The claimed 0-100km/h sprint for the inline six petrol CX-60 is 6.9 seconds, but it feels faster in real life, thanks to more than enough grunt and well spaced gearbox ratios.

Perhaps surprisingly, the petrol inline six engine in the CX-60 range was the highlight for us of the launch event. It’s punchy, sounds pretty good, and is also quite refined – more so than both the diesel and four-cylinder plug-in hybrid drivetrains that cost more. As a bonus, it’s the least expensive CX-60 and it has no competition as all entry-level petrol competitors have moved to four-cylinder engines – sixes are still found in variants like the X3 M40i, GV70 3.5T and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but their pricing starts far higher than the CX-60 as the entry point to the CX-60 range is the inline six petrol engine. Its peak 450Nm torque hits at just 2,000rpm and continues up to 3,500rpm, while peak 209kW lasts from 5,000rpm to 6,000rpm, at which point the engine is singing away nicely with a lovely snarly engine note.

The only transmission available across the CX-60 range is a new eight-speed automatic, which doesn’t use a torque converter but a multi-plate clutch instead. Why? For greater efficiency, according to Mazda. In practice, it’s a pretty good gearbox that shifts smoothly and crisply with none of that typical low-speed hesitation that you get from a dual-clutch transmission – it feels as linear as a regular torque converter as well. It can be shifted manually using the paddle shifters, while the MHEV system allows the engine to shut off at certain speeds for greater efficiency.

Speaking of efficiency, the claimed combined fuel consumption for the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e is 7.4L/100km – 0.8L/100km less than the ‘G35’ 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine in the smaller CX-5 – with claimed CO2 emissions of 171g/km. While we were unable to get a proper economy reading on the CX-60’s launch, the trip computer was showing a reading of 8.3L/100km after a drive from Canberra to Mollymook, which we thought was good as we weren’t driving economically and ran into lots of roadwork traffic – we look forward to testing the CX-60 in our usual regime soon. Unlike most rivals, the CX-60 G40e can run on 91RON regular unleaded and it has a 58-litre fuel tank.

Ride & Handling: 8.5/10

Based on Mazda’s new ‘Large Product Group’ all-wheel drive platform – the first product to do so – the 2023 Mazda CX-60 takes what we know and love from the hugely successful CX-5 and adds extra refinement, more enjoyable handling thanks to the rear-biased platform and even more active safety equipment to make a product that is an excellent long-distance grand touring machine. Sydney to Melbourne in a day would be absolutely no trouble for the CX-60 because it’s very quiet at speed, while its new seats – with more cushion length than the CX-5 and CX-8 for greater under-thigh support – are definitely Mazda’s most comfortable yet (though we wish they had more side bolstering).

Dynamically, the CX-60 is a pretty successful first attempt at a premium mid-size SUV from Mazda. The CX-5 is already regarded as one of the best handling mid-size SUVs around and the CX-60 takes the CX-5’s level of fun and adds some extra keenness thanks to its new platform. At a minimum 1,921kg kerb weight, the CX-60 is no lightweight, but it does weigh less than the smaller four-cylinder Volvo XC60 and despite the extra size, technology and six-cylinder mild-hybrid drivetrain, only 191kg heavier than a CX-5. Behind the wheel, the CX-60 feels similar to a CX-5, which is a good thing, given that the CX-5 is both smaller and lighter.

The steering features a bit less feel than a CX-5, but it’s more fluid than the CX-5’s heavy rack, and quite linear too while the handling is nicely involving as well, though still not as fun as the X3. It’s manoeuvrable and feels reasonable nimble, too. We particularly like the rear-driven push out of faster bends that we experienced on the launch, which makes the CX-60 feel reasonably quick and fun. The ride quality on the inline six petrol engine is mostly pretty decent, even on the larger 20-inch wheels of the Azami model – initial impacts can be a touch firm and it can feel a bit soft on higher-speed bigger bumps, but it’s also not as firm as an X3 either and finds a good balance.

As we’ve come to expect for Mazda products, the active safety features in the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e are well tuned, intuitive and not too intrusive either. While we think that active lane tracing assistance should be standard across the range and not just for cars with the Vision Assist Package, the CX-60 is otherwise extremely well catered for. Highlights in its active safety package include 10 airbags, wonderful Matrix adaptive high beam functionality for the GT Vision Package and Azami, a new rear vehicle occupant warning system to alert occupants from exiting the car with oncoming traffic and a very informative heads-up display that’s standard across the range. Those wanting to tow with their petrol CX-60 will find that it’s rated to 2,500kg braked, with a 150kg maximum towball download weight.

Interior & Practicality: 8.5/10

Anybody who’s been in a recent model Mazda like a CX-30 or a Mazda3 will find the 2023 Mazda CX-60 interior instantly familiar with a similar layout, the same Mazda Connect operating system and the same wonderful details like damping for the stalks and high quality switchgear. But look a little closer and there are differences: the centre screen now measures 12.3-inches (for the Evolve PHEV, plus the GT and Azami), the driver’s display is now fully digital (for the GT and Azami) and the quality of materials like the leather on the seats, the faux leather or suede or wool on the dashboard fascia and the extra chrome dotted around make the CX-60 feel even more special inside.

Like a lot of other aspects about the CX-60, the quality inside its cabin sets new standards for the Mazda brand – particularly in the top-spec Azami with its optional tan suede or white wool trim. Much of the CX-60’s cabin is lined with soft-touch materials – from the plush dashboard top to the edge of the centre console, you can tell that the company has paid a lot of attention to how everything inside the CX-60 feels. To this writer, it’s not quite at X3 or GLC level – some more depth to some of the materials like on the doors and textured dashboard and door trims would get it mighty close – but considering how much less expensive the CX-60 is, we can forgive it.

Centre of the CX-60’s cabin is a 10.25-inch infotainment screen in the Evolve and a larger 12.3-inch unit in the GT and Azami. It uses the same Mazda Connect software as lesser Mazda models and aside from the higher quality and larger screen, it offers no extra functionality compared to cars like the recently updated CX-5 and CX-8. There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt satellite navigation, digital radio, a wireless phone charger and four USB-C charging ports but no live services to start the car from a smartphone app or live traffic functionality for the navigation – though Mazda Australia MD Vinesh Bhindi did hint to us that similar functionality was coming at some point.

The CX-60’s cabin is reasonably practical with big door bins – which aren’t lined with felt or rubber, annoyingly – and a big glovebox, as well as a reasonable box underneath the centre armrest, two reasonable cupholders in the centre console and a shallow storage area underneath the dashboard with a wireless phone charger.

The rear seat of the CX-60 is a lot like the CX-5 in that it’s quite comfortable and it’s well featured, though it’s not the roomiest. For six-footers, legroom isn’t huge but headroom is reasonable – even in the GT and Azami with their panoramic sunroofs. The rear seat itself is quite comfortable, with good lateral support and particularly good under thigh support, and there are plenty of features as well with heated outboard seats, two USB-C ports, air vents, a centre arm rest with cup holders and door pockets – though no separate climate zone or sun blinds in the doors. There are two ISOFIX points, as well as three top tether points – and the rear doors open to 90-degrees too.

The boot of the CX-60 measures 477-litres with the seats up and a healthy 1,726L with the rear seats folded – 73L smaller than a BMW X3 with the seats up, but 126L larger with them folded. The boot itself is nicely finished and has a few features like under-floor and side storage, 40:20:40-split rear seats, a 12V socket and remote releases for seat folding – but no hooks to hang bags off or clever floor partition system like the CX-5 has. Petrol and diesel CX-60 models use a space saver spare wheel, while the plug-in hybrid has a repair kit instead.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

Like all other new Mazda products, the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e is equipped with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with five years of roadside assistance as standard. Like other new Mazda products too, it has 15,000km service intervals, and five years/75,000km of servicing costs $3,360 or $672 per service.

All of Mazda’s competitors in this space offer similar warranty terms, though BMW only offers three years of roadside – yet Volvo offers eight years of roadside as standard. Actual service pricing varies from dealership to dealership but many brands offer service packages at the time of purchase for better value. For example, BMW offers a five-year/80,000km service pack for $2,400 ($480 per service) and Volvo offers a five-year/75,000km equivalent for $3,000 ($600 per service).

The 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.6/10

Overall, we think that the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e mild-hybrid inline six presents a solid argument for the brand’s new premium offerings. Sure, it initially seems expensive – up to $95,000 drive away for a Mazda is unheard of since the RX-7 – and some might ask why both it and the CX-5 are needed in the model lineup, but delve deeper and it not only seems like good value relative to competitors, but shows a new level of fresh thinking like inline six engines with mild-hybrid assistance for good real world economy. That it’s wrapped up in a good to drive, high quality and relatively practical package only aids the situation further.

Of course, the 2023 Mazda CX-60 G40e is not perfect – the back seat and boot could be more spacious, the interior could be a touch richer in presentation, the infotainment system can’t be controlled by touch on the move and it isn’t cheap to service – but it’s still an impressive product and one that we think will do well in the Australian market. Our introduction into Mazda’s new flagship product model line has us impressed and, as is always the case with Mazda, keen for what’s to come.