Get ready to meet what will be Mazda’s very first production vehicle to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Scheduled to debut in a month from today, the CX-60 is believed to ride on an all-new platform intended for vehicles with a rear-wheel-drive setup and AWD compatibility. Prior to its March 8 debut, the Japanese marque is providing the first glimpse of its two-row SUV.
Going on sale in Japan, Europe, and other markets, the Mazda CX-60 is going to be sold strictly with a two-row layout. Elsewhere, the company has pledged to offer a CX-80 model big enough to accommodate three rows of seats. In North America and other regions of the world, these two SUVs will be substituted by CX-70 and CX-90 models featuring wider bodies.
Some preliminary technical specifications have been disclosed, and they seem quite juicy. In Europe, the CX-60 will combine a gasoline-fueled, four-cylinder 2.5-liter engine with an electric motor. The two will work together and push out in excess of 300 horsepower. Chances are the new SUV is going to have AWD since logic tells us the combustion engine will drive one axle and the e-motor the other one.
Thanks to the PHEV system, Mazda claims the 2023 CX-60 will deliver “smooth, efficient and powerful acceleration giving the driver greater confidence and driving enjoyment in the widest possible range of driving scenarios.” The automaker goes on to say the CX-80 will follow in the near future and go on sale around 2024.
It’s a known fact the new RWD-based platform will support larger engines, specifically inline-six gasoline and diesel ones, although we’re not keeping our fingers crossed about seeing them in Europe. Why? Because the Old Continent has the strictest emissions regulations in the world, although Mazda might make them clean enough since it has previously stated these will have a 48V mild hybrid system.
Source: Mazda
