Mazda has already established its offerings as more upmarket compared with mainstream Japanese models, but with the 2023 Mazda CX-60, the carmaker goes one step higher, setting its sights on premium brands like Lexus and BMW. It made a good impression on us when we first saw it just before its local launch, but now we’re finally able to drive it and see if it really delivers on its promise to provide both driver and passengers a luxurious experience.
For this video, we’re driving the top-spec 2023 Mazda CX-60 HEV Turbo-D Sport, which is powered by a 2.2-liter turbodiesel straight-six mild-hybrid powertrain and commands an asking price of P2,890,000. Click play on the video above for the full review, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Presenter: Leandre Grecia
Editor and videographer: Teddy Garcia Jr.
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For this video, we’re driving the top-spec 2023 Mazda CX-60 HEV Turbo-D Sport, which is powered by a 2.2-liter turbodiesel straight-six mild-hybrid powertrain and commands an asking price of P2,890,000. Click play on the video above for the full review, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Presenter: Leandre Grecia
Editor and videographer: Teddy Garcia Jr.
Dig cars?
Read more about cars and motoring here: http://www.topgear.com.ph
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TopGearPH
Tweet us: http://www.twitter.com/TopGearPH
Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TopGearPH
Join us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@topgearph
#topgearph #mazdacx60 #mazda
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MJ8XCFISRLVACSGD
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MotorTranscript
00:00 Mazda started going all out with its crossover production in 2022.
00:05 The carmaker promised to build five new crossovers since then, one of which is this, the CX-60.
00:11 This mild hybrid six-cylinder beast is the most powerful road-going Mazda to date.
00:15 Need I say more?
00:25 Not to start off this review on a negative note because my general thoughts about this
00:29 crossover are anything but, but I expected a more comfortable ride from the CX-60.
00:35 While NVH levels are kept to a minimum here and you won't really hear much of the road
00:39 underneath you, you will feel it.
00:42 A lot.
00:43 The suspension feels a bit stiff, and those 20-inch wheels with the low-profile tires
00:47 don't really do wonders for ride comfort.
00:49 Although it might depend on your standards.
00:52 If you're coming from a pickup, this is great.
00:54 But if you're coming from a bigger SUV with a floaty ride, you might have some complaints
00:59 here and there.
01:00 But apart from the suspension, the cabin does still add to overall comfort.
01:03 You have soft seats and a beautiful interior that's just easy on the eyes.
01:08 And for me, those just make for a pleasant experience inside the CX-60.
01:12 But more on the interior later.
01:14 Handling is the department where this crossover shines.
01:17 You see, the CX-60 is a bit big, but it's quite nimble for its size.
01:21 The compromise in ride comfort paid dividends in terms of handling.
01:25 It's not as precise as, say, a smaller CX-30, but it still feels lighter on its feet than
01:30 it should be.
01:31 And it's easy to swing around, even on winding mountain roads, without excessive body roll
01:35 at that.
01:37 Powering the CX-60 is a mild hybrid setup with a 3.3-liter turbodiesel engine that generates
01:43 251 hp and 550 Nm of torque.
01:48 This is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that delivers powers to all the wheels via
01:52 a rear-biased i-ACTIV all-wheel drive system.
01:56 This powertrain gets assistance from a 48-volt mild hybrid system that comes with a 0.33
02:02 kWh lithium-ion battery.
02:05 This setup supposedly improves fuel efficiency and performance.
02:09 After a few days of driving this, I can't attest to that.
02:13 This turbodiesel doesn't feel like a turbodiesel.
02:16 It doesn't sound like a turbodiesel.
02:18 It doesn't drive like a turbodiesel.
02:21 Throttle response is smooth, and power delivery is almost instantaneous.
02:25 For it, and in just less than half a second, you'll feel all six cylinders working to propel
02:29 you forward.
02:31 Fuel consumption is incredibly impressive, too.
02:34 After driving it for a few hundred kilometers, most of which were composed of highway driving
02:40 with several hours of traffic, I consistently got 14 km/L.
02:45 Those aren't excellent figures by today's standards, but when you're talking about a
02:51 six-cylinder engine, that's pretty good.
02:54 When you're strictly on the highway, that fuel economy goes even higher, all the way
02:58 up to 19 to 20 km/L, and that's even with five people on board.
03:03 And even then, you'll also be cruising at relatively lower revs, so the overall driving
03:08 experience is just excellent.
03:10 But I guess what I really like about the CX-60 is that it doesn't perform like a six-cylinder
03:15 when it doesn't need to.
03:16 When you're easy on the throttle, when you just glide on it like this, it feels tame.
03:23 It doesn't feel like other six-cylinder sports cars that always want to be on the go, always
03:28 want to go on higher revs.
03:30 Since most of the people who will buy this crossover will be probably mostly driving
03:35 this around the city anyway, I guess that's something to consider.
03:39 Also a good bonus in the CX-60 is the inclusion of several safety features.
03:44 For starters, you have front and rear cross-traffic alert, and you have a 360-degree camera with
03:50 a see-through mode, and it's just a really clear camera, and it helps a lot in parking.
03:55 You also have lane departure warning with lane keep assist.
03:58 You also have blind spot monitoring for situations like that.
04:01 Of course, you also have adaptive cruise control, which I also mentioned earlier.
04:06 Mazda has always been known to make good interiors, but in my opinion, the inside of the CX-60
04:12 is the carmaker's finest creation yet.
04:14 The dashboard has this nice suede finish that, as I said earlier, is easy on the eyes.
04:19 This is what you'll be seeing most of the time whether you're the driver or you're the
04:22 passenger, so all this is a big deal even when you don't say it is.
04:26 The seats, like I said earlier, are soft.
04:28 They're comfortable.
04:29 It's just a sweet, sweet bonus that they're really pretty.
04:32 Nappa tan leather adorn these seats, and these are quilted Legano suede accents.
04:38 In the lower gasoline variant, you get a black-laded interior, and in my opinion, this is so much
04:43 better.
04:44 You also have a ton of extra tech here.
04:45 Where do I begin?
04:47 Let's start with the steering wheel.
04:48 You have auto high beam.
04:50 You have rain-sensing wipers.
04:52 You also have adaptive cruise control that can be seen through the head-up display right
04:56 here.
04:57 Right here.
04:58 You can't see it.
04:59 It's only the driver that can see this one.
05:01 You also have this digital instrument cluster that displays, of course, the speedometer,
05:06 the revs, fuel gauge, temp gauge, and the battery charge.
05:10 Up here, you have this wide infotainment system.
05:13 You can operate this one using this commander knob right here.
05:17 It may take some time getting used to, especially if you haven't driven any Mazdas before, but
05:22 once you get the hang of it, it's actually pretty handy.
05:25 This head unit is also paired with a Bose sound system that sounds excellent, by the
05:29 way.
05:30 There's also a subwoofer on the spare tire.
05:32 You might have seen it on the CX-5 before.
05:35 No touchscreen controls for the AC as well.
05:37 You have buttons here, which are pretty easy to operate.
05:40 They're easy to reach, even for the driver.
05:44 Down below, you have this wireless charging pad here, two cup holders, and overall, a
05:48 very nice center console.
05:50 My only problem here is you can't put a lot of stuff there.
05:53 I guess that's one way to keep the interior clean.
05:56 You do have storage here under the center armrest, but even this one isn't that big.
06:01 It's about...
06:02 Where's my ID?
06:05 Oh, there you go.
06:07 It's about this deep.
06:09 By the way, you also have ventilation for the seats, which is a very, very nice bonus.
06:13 It's perfect for Metro Manila weather.
06:15 Now, on days that it's not too hot and you want to enjoy some sunlight, you also have
06:19 a panoramic sunroof up top.
06:22 In terms of space, there is a lot to work with here.
06:26 As the driver, it's easy to find the right driving position because you have a 10-way
06:29 adjustable driver's seat and you have a power adjustable steering wheel.
06:36 And in terms of elbow room and leg room and headroom, there's really plenty.
06:39 Also, another cool trick that Mazda did here is they made the height of the center armrest
06:44 equal to that of the one on the door panel.
06:47 So it makes for a very comfortable seating position.
06:50 You also have two preset driving positions that you can set using these buttons underneath.
06:54 Useful for when you're swapping with the driver or your partner or whatever.
06:58 And if that's not enough for you, you also have different driver profiles that you can
07:02 set through this infotainment system.
07:04 You can select that upon entering the vehicle or what's pretty cool is the CX-60 actually
07:09 has facial recognition features.
07:11 So if it's me getting into the car, the car will recognize that it's Leander behind the
07:16 wheel.
07:17 So it will adjust to my preferred seating position.
07:19 If it were Teddy or if it were Charles, it'll set to theirs.
07:22 So if there are more than two people driving the same car, it's gonna be handy.
07:27 And it's not just the seating position that the driver profiles adjust.
07:30 It also changes the audio settings and the AC controls to that driver's preferred settings.
07:37 Here at the back, well, space is okay.
07:40 This is how much legroom I have with my preferred driving position.
07:44 I'm about 5'5" by the way.
07:46 Headroom is about this much and elbow room, if there are two of me here, no problem.
07:52 But three of me would probably have a pretty tight fit here.
07:56 I have to say though, the seats here feel equally comfy and I can imagine being a passenger
08:01 back here might feel pretty nice.
08:04 You also still have this wood-like trimming on the door panel as well as the suede finish
08:08 and of course, the leather bits.
08:09 So it feels pretty comfortable here.
08:12 Of course, you have two AC vents down here.
08:15 You have two USB-C charging ports and cup holders on this center armrest.
08:21 You also have bottle holders on either side.
08:24 You also have pilot lights in case you need to read at the back.
08:28 My only problem here though, or at least my passengers have been complaining about, is
08:34 that the seatbelts are a bit high.
08:39 I'm gonna try them out right now.
08:41 Oh yeah, I feel it.
08:44 I guess this has something to do with the CX-60's country of origin.
08:49 And this one, the seatbelt feels like it was built for taller people and it can feel like
08:56 it's choking you.
08:57 I'll try out the one in the middle because I was told it was much worse.
09:02 Okay, so I'll wear this one right now.
09:08 Wrong hole.
09:11 Wrong hole again.
09:12 There you go.
09:14 Now what my passengers told me was it felt nice that the buckle wasn't hitting their
09:19 butts, but then again, just the height of the seatbelt can be a bit annoying for shorter
09:28 passengers and I see that now.
09:30 Anyway, I guess if you're buying this car, you really intend to have four people in it
09:37 rather than five.
09:38 Of course, you can still fit five people, but this is the optimal amount of passengers.
09:43 Okay, so lastly, as nice as these seats are, you do still have this Napatan leather with
09:49 the Legano suede accent here in the second row.
09:52 I would add some adjustability here because it would feel nice if you could slide this
09:57 backward or recline it a bit further so you can open up more space because there is a
10:01 lot of trunk space at the back.
10:05 Here at the back, you have a power liftgate.
10:07 You can kick it underneath to open it, by the way, and you have a ton of cargo space
10:13 here.
10:14 You're looking at 570 liters.
10:15 Look at all this junk.
10:17 You also have a tonneau cover.
10:18 It comes as standard.
10:20 It can be a bit tricky to attach or detach, and you can open up more space by folding
10:25 the rear seats.
10:27 I just put the center down.
10:29 It's a 40/20/40 split.
10:32 You have handles here.
10:33 That one didn't fold.
10:34 Let's push it down.
10:35 There you go.
10:37 And well, this doesn't fold either.
10:40 There you go.
10:41 With those seats all the way down, you're looking at almost 1,200, I think.
10:46 So basically, double the cargo space.
10:48 So yes, you can fit a lot of stuff inside the CX-60.
10:56 When this car was launched, Mr. Nikita Mayo himself called it "one sexy car."
11:00 Looking at it right now, it is one sexy crossover.
11:05 Up front, you have this massive honeycomb grille enclosed in chrome trim.
11:09 The sleek headlights flanking this front fascia are also integrated in these shiny bits, and
11:13 it looks pretty cool.
11:15 One thing I noticed about this design is that when you look straight ahead at the front
11:18 end, you'll see the black plastic trim and large opening on the bumper.
11:22 But you won't see any lines.
11:23 That's just how clean the car looks.
11:26 You'll see more of that clean look on the sides and at the rear, where you'll see minimal
11:29 lines and even fewer sharp edges.
11:32 The design just flows smoothly from front to rear.
11:35 Actually, the CX-60 still undeniably looks like a Mazda no matter which angle you look
11:39 at it.
11:40 Perhaps the "newest" part of this design would be the inline-6 badges on the sides.
11:46 Not a weird flex, and definitely okay.
11:51 There are only two CX-60 variants in the range, and this is the higher one that costs Php 2,890,000.
11:57 The lower gasoline trim costs Php 100,000 less.
12:00 Now, gas and diesel prices are still a bit neck-and-neck these days, and I haven't driven
12:04 the gasoline trim myself, so I can't tell you right now which one is the better pick.
12:09 So now, let's move on to the pros and the cons, and let's start with the cons.
12:12 Actually, I just told you the first one.
12:14 It's the price tag.
12:15 At Php 2,890,000, one of the most powerful Mazdas ever built is also one of the most
12:21 expensive right now.
12:22 It costs more than the two lower CX-9 variants, and it's just a smidge under the top-spec
12:28 one.
12:29 Also, the CX-9 is a bigger 7-seater crossover.
12:32 So yeah, this is a bit pricey.
12:35 Number two, ride comfort.
12:36 As I said earlier, the CX-60 sacrifices ride comfort for better handling.
12:41 So if you're looking for a floaty-riding SUV, this one isn't it.
12:45 Number three, second-row space.
12:48 For a 5'5" guy like me, I have no problems sitting in the back.
12:51 But for somebody taller, say 5'8" or higher, it's gonna be a bit cramped.
12:56 And also, for three people in the second row, it can be a bit tight.
13:01 Now it's time for the pros.
13:03 And first one is the engine.
13:05 This car is a diesel, but it doesn't drive like one.
13:08 It accelerates smoothly, and there's little throttle delay too.
13:12 And moving on from that, we go to number two, which is fuel efficiency.
13:15 Despite this being such a powerful engine, it's also actually pretty fuel-efficient too.
13:19 I consistently get 14 km/L out of the CX-60, so good luck getting that with a car this
13:25 big with a six-cylinder engine.
13:27 Number three, safety features.
13:30 The CX-60 comes with a host of extra tech, and a lot of them are geared towards safety.
13:35 You have adaptive cruise control, you have forward collision warning with autonomous
13:38 emergency braking, you also have front and rear cross-traffic alert, and you have these
13:42 amazing cameras that help out a lot in parking.
13:45 So it may not be a floaty crossover, but it's definitely a safe one.
13:51 Last but not least, number four, number coding exception.
13:55 This again is a mild hybrid, so it isn't covered by coding.
13:59 So now it all boils down to the score.
14:01 So despite the heavy price tag, and despite all the cons I mentioned before, I got to
14:06 admit this is still one well-rounded crossover.
14:08 So if I have to give it a score out of 10, it's got a solid 9.
14:12 (upbeat music)
14:15 [MUSIC]