Is America Missing Out On The Mazda CX-60? We’ve Driven It To Find Out

Mazda is in the middle of a renaissance, spurred on by a bevy of SUV-shaped products for the global market with newcomers like the CX-50, CX-70, and CX-90 catering to US audiences. But two models we miss out on are the CX-60 and the three-row CX-80, destined primarily for European markets where size doesn’t matter as much as it does here in the States. The question is whether we’re missing out on these two SUVs. We sought to answer this, spending a week behind the wheel of a CX-60 PHEV in the UK to find out.

In the US, the CX-70 and CX-90 target the same demographic, but are larger, specifically wider, models to appeal to American sensibilities. The CX-60, then, is somewhat of an in-betweener, a model sitting somewhere between the CX-5/CX-50 and the CX-70 in size. After a week, these are the things we loved and hated about it:

• 

  2025 Mazda CX-70

  Base MSRP

  $40,445

  Engine

  3.3L Turbo Inline-6 Gas

  Horsepower

  280-340 hp

  Torque

  332-369 lb-ft

  Transmission

  8-Speed Automatic

  Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  0-60 MPH

  6 seconds

  Top Speed

  127-130 mph

  Towing Capacity

  5,000 lbs

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• 

  2025 Mazda CX-70 PHEV

  Base MSRP

  $54,400

  Engine

  2.5L Inline-4 Plug-in Hybrid

  Horsepower

  323 hp

  Torque

  369 lb-ft

  Transmission

  8-Speed Automatic

  Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  0-60 MPH

  6.5 seconds

  Top Speed

  118 mph

  Towing Capacity

  3,500 lbs

  Expand

Love: Sophisticated Exterior Design

Mazda’s sleek and dynamic exterior stands out in a world of sharp creases and exaggerated styling lines, with the car – aided by its Sonic Silver body paint – appearing in motion even when stationary. Bigger than the CX-5 in all dimensions, the CX-60 is aimed at the European and Japanese markets. The US will make do with the CX-70, a ‘widebody’ version of the 60. Its size and bold accents like the blacked-out grille and quad exhaust enhance its presence, offering a strong visual impact comparable to rivals with a luxury status. But compared to the CX-70, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference, visually. Mazda is at risk of a Russian nesting doll situation here, with a variety of SUVs that are almost indistinguishable. However, even without the CX-60 in the US, the CX-70 and CX-90 are visually (and dimensionally) identical.

Love: Refined, Practical Interior With A Touch Of Japanese Flair

Inspired by the ideas of Kaicho and Musubu, the instrument panel stitching is designed to invoke a sense of harmony using special textiles and a unique method of binding. Combined with other quality materials, the interior is modern and sensible with physical switchgear and a superb digital 12.3-inch instrument screen. The CX-60 was ample enough for my family of five, but most American families are larger than mine, so the CX-70 will certainly suit most families for seating and storage comfort. The CX-70 has the benefit of being a CX-90 without the rear seats, so there’s a ton of storage space, even if you don’t get any extra legroom.

Love: Excellent Handling And Quicker Than Expected

Despite its weight, the CX-60 is agile and performs admirably with its four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, and with 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque on tap is quicker than you might expect, getting to 62 mph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds. It corners well and is happy at normal road speeds and gives you confidence when you want to hustle, but this is not a driver’s car (buy the MX-5 if you want that).

But this is where America gets an advantage, because where the CX-60 is only available in the UK with the plug-in hybrid 2.5-liter engine or a diesel six-cylinder – something that will never come to the US – the US gets the same engine with identical power outputs, but also has access to an inline-6 turbo model with up to 280 hp and 332 lb-ft. We’ve experienced both of these powertrains and while the inline-6 isn’t perfect, it’s smoother than the PHEV’s powertrain.

Love: Value For Money

Compared to competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3, the CX-60 offers a near-luxury experience at a significantly lower price point. In fact, you could probably buy a mid-spec CX-60 and a nearly-new Miata for the same price as a similarly specced German. In the US, the CX-70 is priced above the CX-90 despite it being identical aside from a lack of third-row seats. It’s a pity because value is a strong selling point for the CX-60 and something Mazda could capitalize on if it priced the CX-70 right.

Love: Goes Under The Radar

While it doesn’t have the sophisticated ride quality of the Germans, most people will get on with this car very well. It doesn’t try to stand out like other models in this class and has an understated nature that many buyers will admire. We’ve said before that Mazda is crushing the design game, and both inside and out, this gives you the impression of understated class that goes far beyond its price tag. Even BMW and Mercedes have leaned into shouting about wealth through exterior designs that are a little loud for our liking, so the Mazda’s under-the-radar approach is refreshing.

Dislike: Inconsistent Hybrid Efficiency

The hybrid system struggles with real-world efficiency, offering limited electric range and the inability to exclusively use the combustion engine without draining the battery adds to the frustration. This is the same issue we’ve encountered when driving the CX-90 PHEV where the 26-mile electric range was too little for our use case. With a fully charged battery, you see decent mileage, but that battery drains too quickly, meaning you have to recharge all too often to get the best figures, making it more inconvenient than we’d have liked.

Dislike: Overuse of Sport Mode

With various driving modes available, you should have one for every mood. But Normal mode doesn’t quite cut it outside of city driving as the throttle response lacks the punch you need when overtaking on motorways or eating up country lanes and back roads. Without quantitive evidence, I’d imagine the overuse of Sport mode has a serious impact on efficiency, and it’s the mode we found ourselves defaulting to on a regular basis.

Dislike: Stiff Suspension

The stiff suspension, while aiding cornering stability, compromises comfort, especially over speed bumps or rough roads. It’s not a painful experience but the Germans do a much better job of soaking up harsh terrain. We understood the need for a stiffer suspension in the larger CX-90, which is effectively this same platform enlarged to take an extra row of people in the back, but it feels like Mazda didn’t soften it up enough to cope with the reduced weight of the smaller CX-60.

Dislike: Engine Doesn’t Sound Great

The CX-60 is relatively quiet when chugging along but when you mash the throttle in Sport the sound doesn’t quite match the go. Instead of a pleasant rumble, the exhaust note sounds strained and more high-pitched than we’d like. This has always been an issue with Mazda’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, but it’s made more prevalent when this same platform has access to a smooth inline-six in the CX-70, which is our pick, not only for smoothness of sound but the way it drives.

Dislike: Limited Customization

The interior is easily one of the CX-60’s best qualities, but the inability to adjust ambient lighting or further customize the driver display is somewhat disappointing and is one of the areas that stops this being a luxury car. However, it is by no means a deal breaker. We’ve become accustomed to the personalization offered by BMW and Mercedes models, with RGB lighting schemes that create any ambiance from a zen meditation room to a 1980s strip club, so it now feels odd when a manufacturer doesn’t give you that choice. Volvo has done the same with the new XC90, so it’s not just Mazda in this boat.

Verdict: Is America Missing Out On The CX-60?

To some extent, yes. While I understand the desire for larger SUVs in the US – the same reason we get the VW Atlas and not the Touareg – I can’t help but feel Mazda has priced itself out of the game with the CX-70, given that it’s quite literally the CX-90 without the back row of seats. Other automakers have midsize entries with two- and three-row seating configurations and manage to avoid cannibalizing sales, but with Mazda’s two US models, I worry there’s too much overlap.

Where Honda has the Passport and Pilot, Hyundai has the Santa Fe and Palisade, and Kia has the Sorento and Telluride, each of those is a distinctly different proposition. The CX-70 isn’t different enough, and the CX-60 could’ve solved this issue. Time will tell whether Mazda made the right move, but I can’t help but feel that the CX-60 could’ve been a better middle ground.