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By Jonathan Crouch

Mazda enters the larger section of the mid-sized SUV segment with this very premium-feeling CX-60. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 38

Mazda's CX-80 is essentially a lengthened version of the brand's existing CX-60 model with an extra row seats. But that's enough to make it quite a desirable large family SUV, with a premium feel but a mainstream price.

Backgroundword count: 165

It's been close to a decade since Mazda last offered a seven-seat model in Europe. So this CX-80, the largest car the brand has ever sold on our continent and the second to use the company's 'Large Product Group' platform, is very significant. The first model to use this architecture was the car this three-seating-row model shares almost everything with except its size, the Mazda CX-60 launched back in 2022. The CX-80 is a bigger version of that already quite sizeable SUV, positioned in price and dimensions just above cars like the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan's X-Trail; and just below larger seven-seat SUVs like the Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7. It's a space in the market that the Koreans have lately moved into, with latest versions of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorrento, but the CX-80 aims to provide a bit more premium polish than that pairing. So is this a fitting flagship for the Mazda line-up? Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 337

It seems curious that Mazda should launch a car in this class without a full-EV variant and featuring a diesel power option - but the brand has always delighted in being different. The Hiroshima company says it's waiting for EV tech to become more mature before offering it in this segment, but the truth is that it doesn't yet have an EV drivetrain with the kind of range a car of this kind needs. You can though, get a version of this CX-80 able to be plugged in; the petrol PHEV powertrain that so many customers choose in the smaller CX-60 (which donates all its engines to this larger model). We'd hoped that Mazda might have updated this Plug-in Hybrid set-up for this new installation: principally to give it the larger battery that would facilitate the 50+ mile EV driving range that luxury PHEVs in this segment are now regularly offering. But it's still the same set-up, combining a 2.5-litre four cylinder unit with an electric motor energised by a 17.8kWh battery offering an EV drive range of 37 miles. Total output is 323bhp, with 62mph dispatched in 6.8s. In theory, that's 1.6s quicker than the alternative 250bhp 3.3-litre diesel, but that straight six unit's greater pulling power will give it a more flexible feel. Both engines send power via an 8-speed auto gearbox to both axles with a bias towards the rear. And there's Mazda's Kinematic Posture Control system, which brakes the inside rear wheel in quick turns to reduce body roll. Extra bracing allows the CX-80 to improve the CX-60's towing capacity figure; here, it's up to 2,500kg (better than a Volvo XC90 and the same as Kia and Hyundai rivals). Plus a useful 'Trailer Hitch View' feature's been added, which directs a camera at the tow bar to make it easier to hitch up a trailer. If you are tugging things along, you'll want to select the car's provided 'Towing' mode: other drive settings include an 'Off-road' mode that optimises traction on rough terrain.

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