America Admires the 2024 Mazda CX-60 From Afar

Car enthusiasts in the United States are familiar with the CX-90, a large SUV with a rear-biased platform that has three rows of seating. Its smaller sibling, the CX-60, is available overseas and has two rows of seating. The CX-60 comes with the same 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six engine that is available in the CX-90 sold in the US.

The CX-60 also comes with a 3.3-liter turbo diesel engine, which the CX-90 is unlikely to receive. Mazda invested a significant amount of money in the development of this new diesel engine, which is impressive considering most automakers are focusing on electric vehicles. Mazda is known for going against the trend.

CarExpert Australia’s Paul Maric had the opportunity to test the CX-60 with both engines. The range-topping Azami specification, which includes 20-inch alloys wrapped in Toyo Proxes Sport tires, was used for both the GT and entry-level Evolve models.

Knowing the weight difference between two vehicles of the same make and model is important when comparing their 0-100 acceleration. The diesel CX-60 is understandably heavier at 1,990 kilograms (4,387 pounds) than the gas-powered CX-60, which weighs 1,949 kilos (4,297 pounds).

Paul’s Dragy app recorded 7.08 seconds for the gasoline-fueled model and 7.29 seconds for the diesel. This is a significant difference, especially when considering that Mazda has yet to release a performance-focused variant of the CX-60.

The gasoline-fueled CX-60 also accelerates faster between 80 to 120 kilometers per hour (50 to 75 miles per hour) at 4.20 seconds, compared to the diesel’s 4.64 seconds. When it comes to braking performance, the diesel takes longer to stop from 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour), needing 2.96 seconds compared to the gasoline-powered G40e’s 2.71 seconds. The e in G40e refers to mild-hybrid assistance, which is also present in the diesel-powered D50e.

The CX-60s in the video cost roughly $48,000 and $48,500. Both models are relatively quiet inside, with a professionally calibrated sound meter recording 70.7 decibels in the G40e and 70.6 decibels in the D50e at 100 kilometers per hour on a coarse road surface. The gasoline-fueled CX-60 is slightly quieter on a smooth road surface, measuring 62.4 decibels compared to the diesel’s 63.3 decibels.

The CX-60 and CX-80 are narrow-body SUVs, while the CX-90 is a wide-body SUV. While the CX-60 is not available in the United States, the CX-70 is expected to be its American counterpart and will likely be released in late 2023 for MY24. The CX-90, which is sold in the US, is wider than the CX-60 at 1,994 millimeters (78.5 inches) versus 1,890 millimeters (74.4 inches) for the CX-60.

Photo Source: Mazda Australia