The most powerful Mazda production car ever is finally rolling off the line.
Mazda is growing in a number of new and exciting directions, which means there are a ton of cool cars on their way in the near future. The Mazda vehicle currently grabbing the headlines is the European CX-60. Back in March we caught some leaked images of the new crossover SUV before the official reveal happened recently. Labeled the most powerful production Mazda ever, this 322-horsepower hybrid SUV joins Mazda’s growing list of eco-friendly cars such as the all-electric Mazda MX-30, and now we have confirmation that production of the all-new CX-60 has officially begun at Mazda’s Hofu plant no.2 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
Mazda celebrated the start of production at the assembly plant on 18 April with over 100 people involved in the production of the new vehicle. The new CX-60 will be Mazda’s flagship model for the European SUV market and packs a mean, yet frugal punch. Under the hood of the new CX-60 PHEV sits Mazda’s tried and tested Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter four-cylinder direct injection petrol mated to a 129 kW electric motor, an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery. The gas engine produces 189 hp and 193 pound-feet while the electric motor adds another 134 hp and 184 lb-ft. The combined output totals 322 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, making this family-friendly SUV the most powerful road-going Mazda production car ever.
The CX-60 is also the first Mazda to make use of the company’s new Skyactiv Multi Solution Scalable Architecture which features a rear-wheel-drive biased system. Could this mean that this 322-hp Mazda SUV could be fun to drive? Quite possibly, since it will also be getting a new inline-six engine in the future as well.
The interior of the new CX-60 looks just as impressive as its tech info sheet: the space is clean, contemporary, and boasts massively impressive build quality; something we’ve come to expect from Mazda. The new CX-60 forms part of Mazda’s plan to introduce five new SUVs from 2022 onward, and although the US market won’t be getting the new CX-60, we will be getting our own widebody version called the Mazda CX-70.
