Long-term report: Introducing our new Mazda CX-60

With our much-loved Mazda CX-5 going off to a new home, it’s time to try something new – and it’s fair to say that we’ve had a bit of an upgrade…

This is our new CX-60: Mazda’s biggest and poshest model for quite some time. It’s a car that the Japanese brand is hoping might entice some BMW and Audi customers into its showrooms – and, of course, some existing CX-5 drivers (like us) that fancy something bigger.

To that end, Mazda has thrown everything it possibly can at making the CX-60 a success. It’s brand new from the ground-up, sitting on a new rear-wheel-drive-focused platform that should inject a bit of fun into how it drives. It’s stuffed full of technology too, including a camera-based driver recognition system that adjusts the seat and steering wheel positions for you automatically.

Most excitingly – for me at least – is what Mazda has been up to in the engine department. You can have the CX-60 as a city-friendly plug-in-hybrid petrol – jolly good – but we’ve got something that’s much more likely to pique the interest of the average BMW owner: a brand new 3.3-litre straight-six diesel.

Diesel, if that rings a bell, is the fuel most car manufacturers now seem to be a bit scared of: discontinuing it in favour of petrol and plug-in-hybrid options instead. Mazda has taken a slightly different path. They reckon that diesel is still very useful to plenty of customers, particularly those that do lots of motorway miles, or tow caravans, and so on.

Their other bit of logic is that, in order to convince a Mercedes customer that Mazda is actually ‘premium’ now, they can’t simply stuff the same old 2.0-litre four-cylinder from the CX-5 under the bonnet and call it a day. German car buyers, evidently, expect something a bit more refined with a pair of extra cylinders.

In a similar vein, Mazda has introduced plenty of interior niceties to the CX-60 too. Our car is the middle-of-the-range ‘Homura’ trim, but in typical Mazda fashion it comes filled to the brim with standard equipment. There’s too much to cover without hitting our word count, but niceties like heated and cooled leather seats, a head-up display, Apple CarPlay and a 12-speaker Bose stereo are all bundled in.

Admittedly we’ve also ticked the option boxes for a rather lovely panoramic sunroof, and a technology park with surround view cameras, wireless phone charger and more – but even these don’t break the bank.

Anyway, enough about the spec – what’s the CX-60 actually like? Well, customers upgrading from a CX-5 might be in for a bit of a shock: in many ways, the CX-60 is decidedly un-Mazda. Hit the start button and you’re met with a deep, billowing engine note that falls somewhere between a BMW 530d and a V6 Range Rover.

Even in the first 30 yards of driving, the difference between the CX-60 and its little brother is clear to see. We’re not saying the CX-5 feels flimsy, but the ’60 has some proper reassuring heft to it – a sense of solidity, if you like.

Then there’s the engine: the 3.3-litre diesel is a bit of marvel as far as I’m concerned. There’s more than enough power and torque to propel the CX-60 along with ease, with plenty in reserve for the occasional overtake or power-sapping motorway incline. It even makes a fabulous and rather addictive roar in the process. Compared to any of the CX-5’s engine choices, it’s an absolute revelation.

So far so good, then? Sort of. The only fly in the ointment so far is the ride quality, which seems to be a curious combination of bouncy and firm at the same time. Its particular pet hate seems to be lumpy bits of motorway, where it’s capable of launching rear passengers almost clean out of their seats – much to their surprise and, admittedly, my amusement.

Beyond that though, the CX-60 has been a great companion as we settle into its first month with us. It’s been absolutely eating up the motorway miles so far, and incredibly even returning well over 50mpg without any effort from me. If that’s not proof that Mazda was right about diesel all along, I don’t know what is.