Mazda CX

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News from the other side: The grass is not always greener. After driving the not-for-sale-in-America Mazda CX-60 midsize SUV, we understand why the automaker offers this new rear-wheel-drive-based model in Europe but not in the U.S. The message is less "neener-neener" and more "wait for the upcoming 2024 Mazda CX-70." Or just as good: While Mazda refines its plug-in hybrid powertrain, stick with a longtime favorite Mazda SUV, the CX-5. Here's why.

We get it: Sometimes it's hard enough remembering your kids' names, let alone the alphanumeric jumble of car names. Here's the lightning round for most Mazdas. The CX-3 was an entry-level subcompact SUV with a tiny interior. It's gone now, but the slightly larger CX-30 remains. Above that model in size and price are two compact five-seat SUVs: The CX-50 wears its outdoorsy appeal on its sleeve, while the beautiful CX-5 is more conventional and taller.

You can't have the new CX-60 in the U.S. because Mazda is preparing the CX-70 for the American market. Both of these five-seat midsize SUVs ride on a new rear-wheel-drive platform that gives Mazda's latest models luxury-SUV proportions and an available plug-in hybrid option.

Wait, didn't Mazda make a CX-7? Yes, but that midsizer hasn't been built in years. Above the CX-70 will be a CX-80 in other markets. Likely using the same engine options, the CX-80 is a three-row SUV we won't get because Mazda reserves the larger three-row CX-90 for us. Both ride on the same RWD platform as the CX-60 and CX-70.

Now that you're a Mazda SUV expert, here's what makes the CX-60 so intriguing.

The Mazda CX-60's most striking trait has nothing to do with the SUV itself; it's the pricing. For about the same price in the U.K., Mazda will sell you an all-wheel-drive model with the plug-in hybrid powertrain (PHEV) or a rear-drive variant with a diesel. Automakers don't often offer plug-in hybrids at the same price as other engines and throw in AWD, so that catches our eye. No wonder, then, that 87 percent of CX-60 customers in the U.K. so far have gone for the PHEV.

The Mazda CX-60 PHEV offers a version of the same plug-in setup found in the CX-90, with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine as its foundation. Mazda says all-electric-driving range in the U.K.-spec CX-60 is a respectable but not great 39 miles of city/highway combined driving, or 42 miles in the city. In the U.S., where our ratings system is more stringent, the larger CX-90 PHEV has the same powertrain with a 26-mile range and 323 total-system horsepower.

On the road, the Mazda CX-60 PHEV feels responsive and powerful enough, delivering a delicious snarl at full throttle. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph comes in a respectable manufacturer-estimated 5.8 seconds. That's good, but the PHEV powertrain has limitations that may show up in a test drive.

Transmission refinement is the Mazda CX-60 PHEV's biggest issue. Especially at low speeds, we detected a rough shift that should have been smoother from the eight-speed automatic. We've felt this on the CX-90 PHEV, too, and we hope Mazda addresses this for 2025 models with this plug-in powertrain.

Also, the strange zero-emissions noises from both the CX-60 and CX-90 PHEVs leave us scratching our heads. You won't notice it if you're listening to music, but the sounds didn't always correspond well enough with our forward movement. Electric and hybrid cars all have these types of sounds; we just think Mazda's programming logic needs a rethink.

The engine stop/start system could also be smoother when it starts up in hybrid mode. That surprised us, as we spent a year in a turbocharged CX-50 and had no issue with the stop/start tech with that non-hybrid engine.

The number crunchers in the family will also wonder why the longer and wider CX-60 has a back seat that's merely adequate. The rear passenger compartment starts off strong thanks to wide-opening rear doors, a practical perk we love on many Mazdas. But it's too easy to brush up against the rear wheel-well when getting in and out, and we'd appreciate more room—the CX-60 has the same combined front and rear legroom as the CX-5.

Mazda's most captivating modern vehicles combine passion with practicality. They're often special cars catering to buyers who leave best-in-class bragging rights to competitors. The CX-60 fits the Mazda brand identity well. The very fact a mainstream brand like Mazda has introduced rear-wheel-drive proportions on a midsize SUV—something a luxury brand like Acura hasn't done—is impressive. However, a premium exterior design is why the interior measurements may not be quite as large as some expect.

Can't see it? Compare the profile views of the CX-5 and CX-60. Notice how the CX-5's front wheels are so close to the cabin and how the wheel-well-flares bleed over into the front doors. Not on the CX-60. There, the front wheels are pushed farther forward and Mazda draws attention to this with a long side vent. Both are attractive SUVs, but once you see it, this detail is hard to unsee.

Our higher-trim Mazda CX-60 test SUV had soft-touch surfaces almost everywhere you put your hands, even in some places the German luxury brands don't always get right. From the dashboard to most of the door panels and even the sides of the center console, Mazda continues to do this well.

Yes, Mazda could improve its new plug-in hybrid powertrain, but a couple aspects of the driving experience still shine through. Let's start with the steering. At least in the model we drove, the steering provided feel without requiring excessive effort to turn the wheel. Great. We can't say the same about every CX-5 and CX-50 we've driven, and the same is true for ride quality. It's never Subaru smooth, but the CX-60's ride never felt as punishing as our CX-50 sometimes was.

Then there are details we wish all automakers adopted. In the CX-60, it's not just the wide-opening rear doors we mentioned, but also the way the cargo cover lifts automatically when the power liftgate rises. Fold-down levers in the cargo area also deserve a head nod, as does the 12.3-inch infotainment screen that's tilted toward the driver.

For the Mazda CX-60 to maximize appeal, its maker should continue refining its new plug-in hybrid. The fact the U.S. market gets the CX-70 instead of the CX-60 is a smart move. With not much more room for passengers to spread their legs than the more affordable CX-5, the CX-60 must justify its price premium in other ways. The prime selling point appears to be that it's the least expensive Mazda plug-in hybrid besides the much smaller Euro-spec MX-30 PHEV.

That's why the CX-60 excites us for the upcoming Mazda CX-70. If you love that classic Mazda design language but are ready for an electrified five-seat daily driver, the CX-70 PHEV could be the one. However, if the flexibility of a PHEV doesn't intrigue you, the added price premium from CX-5 to CX-60 (or CX-70) is a harder sell.

The CX-5 has proportions that betray its front-drive platform, but the old SUV remains competitive. And trust us, the visual similarities between a Soul Red CX-60 and an identically hued CX-5 parked side by side are striking.

Despite its drawbacks, the CX-60 demonstrates Mazda can create an electrified SUV with more mainstream appeal than the MX-30. The CX-60 has real potential. Yes, now that we've driven the CX-60, we understand why it's not coming to the U.S. market, but it makes us that much more curious about the U.S.-spec CX-70 midsize SUV.