Overview

MAZDA Australia has officially launched its 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol powered CX-60 into local showrooms this week, the ‘G25’ entry model arriving alongside more familiar turbocharged six-cylinder petrol and diesel offerings, and Mazda’s highly efficient – yet pricey – plug-in hybrid entrant.

The G25 is available across three trim grades – Pure, Evolve, and Touring – its 2.5-litre engine producing 138kW of power at 6000rpm and 250Nm of torque at 3000rpm while consuming a claimed 7.5 litres per 100km on the ADR combined cycle.

Accompanying CO2 emissions are listed at 173 grams per kilometre.

As elsewhere in the line-up, the rear-wheel drive G25 is equipped exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Standard kit for the CX-60 G25 Pure ($47,990 d/a) includes 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, autonomous emergency braking, 360-degree camera, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, and satellite navigation.

While Pure customers still enjoy a leather steering wheel and gear shifter, rear air vents and an eight-speaker stereo, the variant’s base model status is given away by manually adjusted cloth seats and hard upper door skins.

National drive-away pricing is not offered on the other trims.

The second-tier CX-60 G25 Evolve is priced at $49,240 + on-road costs and adds a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, black vinyl upholstery, a wireless device charger, power tailgate, upgraded adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, front cross-traffic alert, and a driver monitor.

From there it is a $3000 step to the G25 Touring ($52,240 + ORC), which supplements the spec with genuine black leather upholstery, heated and powered front seats (with driver’s memory), memory for the mirrors, and an LED-lit rear console.

Higher tier GT and Azami grades, which are available on each of the other engines (from $64,240 + ORC and $68,440 + ORC respectively), are not offered in combination with the G25 powertrain.

Options are instead limited to paint colour, with Deep Crystal Blue, Jet Black, Platinum Quartz, Sonic Silver and Zircon Sand attracting no penalty while Rhodium White, Soul Red Crystal and Machine Grey attract an additional fee.

Mazda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty continues to apply.

Driving Impressions

Mazda’s long-serving 2.5-litre engine is, on paper at least, a decent fit for an urban-centric SUV.

Although its power and torque figures fall well short of the 209kW/450Nm offered in the G40e range, it handles around-town duties capably enough, the spread of ratios and shorter final drive gear helping the G25 keep pace with city traffic.

Though we hasten to add that the vehicles sampled on launch were experienced only with two adult passengers on board... Add the kids, the dog, and school bags into the mix and we expect that performance to suffer – and likely the fuel consumption as well.

While the CX-60 G25 maintained an economy figure of 8.1 litres per 100km on test, the suburban run experience was supportive of good economy. However on a loaded highway run with steep hills and a car full of passengers, we suggest the driveline will become very thirsty, very quickly.

Of course, Mazda offers a great deal of choice elsewhere for those chasing additional performance.

The G25 is strictly an entry level model that aims to offer the additional space, and a price point, that is attractive to buyers for whom a CX-5 is just too small, or a turbocharged model too expensive.

The lower grades on offer help Mazda Australia to keep a lid on the list price, meaning buyers can get a reasonably well-equipped SUV with a proven driveline for a very good price. But there are a few signs that you’re getting what you pay for…

The quality of materials and cabin finish is a little off the mark when viewed against a growing number of newcomers to the market. Likewise, Mazda’s human-machine interface is a bit behind the times, with touchscreen operation reserved for higher-trimmed grades.

We were also disappointed to note that transmission is somewhat fussy in selecting the right gear for the task at hand, working almost continuously in an attempt to hold the engine within its optimal torque range.

Dropping back a ratio (or two) when accelerating to ascend hills or to merge with faster traffic results in the engine revving considerably higher than would be necessary from a unit with more torque at its disposal.

It results in a considerable level of noise we feel is not in keeping with the ‘Mazda Premium’ ideology the CX-60 seeks to portray – and is a not-so-subtle reminder, perhaps, that you couldn’t afford the next step up each and every time you flex the right foot.

With so much choice available in the market, and with several newcomers offering a more premium experience for similar money, we think you’d need to be very attached to the Mazda product to consider a CX-60 G25.

While it does offer a calm ride, honest steering, and sensible ADAS calibration, it fails to garner the same level of quality and gratification as is found elsewhere in the range.

Our advice? Give it a decent test drive to ensure the vehicle suits your needs before signing on the dotted line.