Mazda moves upmarket

l CAR LAUNCH

| Nick Dalton

MAZDA’S move in to the premium space has arrived in Cairns and is ready for delivery.

The Mazda CX-60 heralds the Japanese brand’s shift into the premium category and is the company’s new flagship with the CX-9 bowing out.

Westco Mazda is one of the first dealers in Queensland to receive the new SUV.

The five-seater sits above the CX-5 and comes with inline six-cylinder engines in petrol and diesel with mild hybrid powertrains and a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid which can run on electricity alone for up to 76km.

Westco Mazda general manager Scott King said on display were four variants: a petrol GT demonstrator, an Evolve plug-in hybrid, and two other Evolves in petrol or diesel.

“Six more are coming this month and we have one for delivery to a customer who has a CX-5,” he said.

“For Mazda this is the first stage of entering the premium segment with others coming, including the CX-90 and the CX-80. The CX-60 is seen as a rival to Audi Q3, Lexus NX300, Volvo XC60 and BMW X3.

“The CX-60 is smoother than a CX-5, performs better and with the sound deadening is quiet on the road. It has a lovely engine note as well.”

Mr King said the CX-60 was fuel efficient with the plug-in returning 2.1L/100km overall, 4.9 for the diesel and 7.5 for the petrol.

“The beauty of the plug-in hybrid is that it can run off the batteries for a normal weekly commute and can be charged up overnight,” he said.

Prices start at $64,798 (on- road) for the Evolve petrol and top out at for the Azami $89,911.

Launching with a hybrid-only powertrain line-up, at the top of the range is the very first Mazda plug-in hybrid – the e-Skyactiv PHEV.

With a combined 241kW system output and peak torque of 500Nm from its 129kW motor and Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre, fourcylinder direct injection petrol, the CX-60 earns the title as the most powerful road-going Mazda to date. Its 100 km/h sprint time from rest takes just 5.9 seconds.

Overall range in EV mode is up to 76 km at speeds of up to 100 km/h – comfortably exceeding the average Australian daily commuting distance by almost five times without the need to revert to the petrol engine.

The six-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel both share a 3.3-litre capacity and join the line-up for the first time, with each utilising Mazda’s 48V M Hybrid Boost technology.

The Evolve petrol is $64,798, the diesel is $66,868 and the hybrid is $76,447. GT versions are $73,078, $75,1458 and $84,607 while the Azami is $78,460, $80,530 and $89,911. Addition- ally, four different option packs are available.

Standard on all models are alloy wheels, a digital dashboard, Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) with Vehicle Exit Warning, front and rear parking sensors, High Beam Control (HBC), LED headlights with auto on/ off, remote-operated power tailgate, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, satellite navigation, Smart Brake Support (SBS) with turn-across traffic, advanced keyless entry, Apple Carplay and Android Auto (wireless and USB) and wireless phone charger.