What makes the Mazda CX-60 worth every cent

The Mazda CX-60 is just the right model at just the right time. At some point, it felt like the brand was stagnating a little, with iterative but meaningful improvements being dolled out year after year. We’re all familiar with Mazda’s lineup at this point, but here’s a curveball—a gorgeous curveball—and an absolute game-changer for the brand. 

It’s a model that you won’t soon forget, whether it’s because of its exterior, interior, or its drive, the CX-60 seems to be a car without compromises, and at least from the initial impressions, it looks like the perfect crossover. If you’re not convinced, let’s give you a couple of reasons why it's definitely the best crossover in the Mazda lineup that is worth your money. 

Saying that this is the best-looking Mazda crossover in the Philippines today is quite the statement. In a stable filled with good-looking cars, how do you stand out? It’s the classic, “If everyone is good-looking, nobody is.” Somehow, Mazda did it. Mazda made a car that looks better than any other crossover it’s launched since its Kodo Design language first burst on the scene. 

The long hood and short rear deck are reminiscent of classic sports cars. Now, you might have felt that just by looking at the car, but the difference between other Mazda crossovers and the CX-60 is very subtle. The CX-60 evokes a sense of dynamism and the design communicates that it is ready for you to get behind the wheel. Peek the new headlamps. Not as thin as before, but more wide-eyed and willing to shine a light even on the darkest of roads. Spot the grille, a large intake that welcomes fresh air and eyes through its pattern, spot the rear taillights, sensual curves that accentuate the rear and line up perfectly with the beltline, the door handles, the fender garnish, and finally the headlights, tying everything together in an exquisitely subtle and stylish way. 

On its side, the profile of the Mazda CX-60 is unmatched and unmistakably Mazda, but while you can’t quite put a finger on it—you’re even more drawn to it. Mazda has mastered its design language and has created a consumer vehicle that looks fresh and new, even if the models before it still sports the Kodo Soul of Motion language. We didn’t think that Mazda had anything else up their sleeves in their studio, but the CX-60 is evidence that the brand hasn’t and will not lose its touch and rest on its laurels.

We can go on and on about materials, quality, and craftsmanship all day long, but that’s all old news, old hat, and old tricks in the Mazda playbook. It goes without saying, but Mazda knows what it can deliver, and it knows exactly how to make cars feel as premium as they can be, even going so far as to rival the likes of Lexus to a certain degree. Now, that all changes with the CX-60, as it is now the model to start a new age for the brand. Mazda has elevated its interior to new heights, aside from softer and suppler materials. 

Almost any established brand can contact a premium supplier to provide the best materials for their cars. Any brand worth its salt can execute an interior with a cohesive and compelling design. However, to go an extra step further is extraordinary, and that’s what Mazda has done in order to justify its claim with the CX-60. A premium driving experience isn’t just about the engine or the transmission, but Mazda’s fanatical approach to its Jinbai Ittai ethos has led it to create a system that is downright ingenious. They say that the eyes don’t lie, and that relates to the system that Mazda have integrated in the crossover. The CX-60 employs an eye-tracking system that finds the most optimal position for the driver. The system will adjust the driver’s seat, the steering wheel angle and reach, as well as the recline of the seat that they are in. It’s not just the seat that will adjust, but also the side mirrors and even the heads-up display (HUD). If someone else is going to drive, you don’t need to worry about a thing because the CX-60’s system can also save up to six users in its memory, and the wizardry here is that the vehicle will also know when a different person is behind the wheel. 

That’s just one of the lengths that Mazda has gone to in order to elevate the experience, and everything else is better than ever. The updated panels, trimmings, and furnishings inside the CX-60 shout luxury in all aspects, and it’s definitely a wonderful place to be in whether as a driver or as a passenger.

Before the CX-60, SkyActiv-G and SkyActiv-D motors have stuck to the four-cylinder engine format, but the CX-60’s powerplant, it’s an all-new 3.3-liter straight-six motor with Mazda’s M Hybrid Boost technology, which would classify this model as a mild hybrid. The diesel variant is a first for Mazda, and it’s also a first for the industry. The 3.3-liter SkyActiv-D with M Hybrid Boost makes its mark as the first-ever turbo-diesel mild-hybrid powertrain in the Philippines. It’s also the motor with the most torque in the Mazda lineup, and it has enough pull to butt heads with heavyweight SUVs which is big considering that the CX-60 is a much lighter platform in comparison. With 250 hp and 550 Nm of torque, it has more power and torque than the BT-50 with 187 horses and 450 Newton meters. Meanwhile, the gasoline engine is the most powerful production motor to come from the brand. The 3.3-liter SkyActiv-G with M Hybrid Boost makes 280 hp and 450 Nm of torque. That’s as much torque as the BT-50 but powered by gasoline with almost a hundred more horses than the capable pickup truck. Mazda has a great pairing with the engine options that it has for the CX-60, the torquiest and the most powerful. 

What is M Hybrid Boost? It’s a 48-vold system that assists the engine in low-load scenarios which allows it to power the car either independently or in tandem with the internal combustion engine. In addition to this, and adding to the capabilities of the powertrain, all-wheel-drive is also standard, and on top of that, the rear-wheel bias also allows this car to have a near 50/50 weight distribution. Mazda says it has the stability of all-wheel-drive with the dynamism and balance of a rear-wheel-drive car thanks to its new front-engined-rear-wheel-drive layout. 

When other brands feature a color, we usually list it down and move on to more exciting things. However, whenever Mazda announces a special color, the industry tends to stop and listen. Mazda’s paint house is one of the cornerstones in the Japanese automotive industry, as the brand puts a lot of emphasis on its selection. Mazda brought Soul Red Crystal to the market a few years ago, and it is one of the most eye-catching and bright paints we’ve seen in the market. 

Mazda took the same obsessive attention to detail with its newest shade of white, which is said to be the “purest white” to ever come from the brand’s studio, as stated during the CX-60 launch event. Even from afar, the white paint that can be optioned out on the CX-60 is one that matches exceptionally well with the body lines of the model. Unlike other brands that go for flatter paints, Rhodium plays with the light and adds depth and drama.

Rhodium White Premium is a three-layer paint job. A color layer with white pigment, a reflective layer with ultra-thin high-luminance aluminum, and a clear layer. The white pigment is a fine grain of white but what’s interesting about it is that it has a thin color layer which was done to reduce the carbon emissions associated with the hue. Next is the reflective layer that employs the use of ultra-thin high-luminance aluminum that’s applied precisely at a uniform thickness. The reflective layer is thicker than standard whites by about seven percent, and it reflects more light, resulting in a color that’s dynamic and appealing to the eye in any light. The reflective layer works in tandem with the clear layer, and it’s one of the rare instances where a white color plays with the light and has a glossy finish that stands out and enhances the lines of the vehicle, giving contrast to the slopes, valleys, and curves for you to enjoy. 

Mazda has been on the edge of premium ever since, straddling the line between the mainstream and the upper-end spectrums of the market. The brand never struggled to provide a premium experience to its customers, but rather, it wanted to keep its value proposition to as high a standard as possible. Mazda could have broken into the premium segment long ago, but the brand seems comfortable where it is, offering some of the best value in the industry with regard to style with substance. 

Admittedly, there is a jump in price for the CX-60. Mazda themselves stated that the average price of all its vehicles sold hovers over P2,000,000, and that’s something to be proud of. Mazda has affordable entries in the market, but it appears that its customers are shopping well beyond the price of a CX-30 or a Mazda3. 

Considering what you get for the starting price tag of P2,790,000, the CX-60 may be an outlier for the mere fact that it is a five-seater, but considering that other premium brands can charge up to double the price of a similar product makes you wonder, what exactly is premium? We think that the CX-60 won't be a middle child in the industry. Perhaps this car is the one that absolutely puts Mazda within striking distance of the upper end of the market. This is the car that will allow Mazda to graduate from the mainstream and into the upper echelons of the market, however, it’s doing so at an extremely aggressive price with an extremely robust set of features, in a package that is arguably more premium and more gorgeous than other brands can muster.