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The CX-60 is set to become Mazda’s second plug-in launched in New Zealand.
Mazda New Zealand has confirmed that the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of its all-new CX-60 are destined for local showrooms.
While the brand has yet to issue a press release detailing the two models (with pricing and spec still up in the air) a recent update to its website states that both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are “coming soon”.
The CX-60 is the first nameplate to come based on Mazda’s new ‘large product group’ architecture – a platform that will also underpin the upcoming CX-90, a host of other SUVs, and the replacement for the Mazda6.
Mazda’s newest SUV has been revealed in plug-in hybrid form. Meet the CX-60.
The new model represents a significant moment for the Japanese manufacturer, with hopes that the platform will help it edge closer to premium rivals like the Lexus RX and BMW X3.
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Longitudinally mounted engines, a near 50/50 weight distribution, wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, torque vectoring, a new multi-plate 8-speed automatic, and a new rear-biased all-wheel drive system are amongst the CX-60’s tech highlights.
Stuff recently travelled to Japan for a first drive of the CX-60, with our first impressions on the new SUV to be published in the coming days.
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The CX-60 will be the first large product group nameplate to land in local showrooms.
The CX-60 first broke cover early last year, with the Japanese manufacturer detailing three different newly developed powertrains; an inline six petrol 48V mild hybrid, inline six diesel 48V mild hybrid, and plug-in hybrid four-cylinder petrol.
The inline six petrol is a e-SkyActiv X 3.0-litre making 209kW and 450Nm, while the diesel is a SkyActiv D 3.3-litre producing 187kW and 550Nm. In spite of having a lot more capacity and power, Mazda boasts that its 3.3-litre diesel is more economical than its old 2.2-litre.
The PHEV, meanwhile, combines a familiar 141kW/261Nm 2.5-litre petrol with a 100kW/250Nm electric motor and a 17.8kWh battery pack to generate a total output of 241kW and 500Nm.
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A fully electric CX-60 is something Mazda says it “has to” consider.
So, is a fully electric CX-60 next on the cards? Speaking to media from Australia and New Zealand earlier this week, CX-60 programme manager Kohei Shibata said that the brand “has to” look into these possibilities.
While Mazda has previously underlined that it is planning to launch three new EVs by 2025 as part of its “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2023” plan, it has yet to confirm whether any EVs will be built on the CX-60’s large product group platform.
Shibata added that Mazda has been “accumulating the technologies needed for electrification step by step”. He noted that in markets like Australia and Japan EVs aren’t “particularly friendly to the environment” because of reliance on electricity generated by fossil fuels.
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