Mazda certainly seem to have all their bases covered these days for those in the market for a premium feeling SUV. The current CX range have been instrumental in this and what started with the CX-30 and grew to include the CX-60 and flagship CX-90, now includes the CX-80. The new CX-80 presents itself as the perfect middle ground for those wanting seven seats and more space over the CX-60, but might feel the CX-90 may be a little too large for their tastes. Either way, let’s see what the deal is with the latest high riding Mazda.
Like the CX-60 and CX-90, the CX-80 is the third Mazda SUV to ride on their bespoke “Large Architecture Platform” and embraces Mazda’s latest generation of Kodo design philosophy, otherwise known as “Graceful Toughness” in the case of the CX-80. It’s a handsome design whichever way you look at it.
As Mazda have incorporated the SP nameplate into th CX-80, you have some exterior additives with a distinctly sporty edge. Black accents, blacked out 20-inch alloys, black chrome signature wing and a new honeycomb grill to name a few. This was extenuated with the contrasting Rhodium White Metallic paint which clothed my test car. Plus, even though it shares the same 3120mm wheelbase as the CX-90, it is somewhat shorter top to tail at 4990mm over the CX-90’s 5100mm length. It is also narrower by 100mm and lower by 35mm.
Despite the slightly smaller stance, buyers will still benefit from that seven-seat layout, all of which provide delightful levels of comfort and even those in the rear won’t be too cramped either. Sure you only have 287L of space with all three seat rows up but drop the third and you have a fairly hefty 687L to play with. Drop the second row and this grows to 1,221L, naturally.
The range starts with my test car, the entry level CX-80 SP Hybrid at $74,990. The big news is the inclusion of a plug-in-hybrid variant of the SP and the flagship Homura for $80,990 and $89,490 respectively, both of which come with a four cylinder petrol engine, a 129kW electric motor and a 17.8kWh battery pack.
My SP Hybrid is not of the PHEV variety but it does have something rather nice tucked away in the form of a 3.3L turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 48V Mild Hybrid battery system. It’s the same engine and powertrain you get in the smaller CX-60 which means 209kW and 450Nm of torque. This also means an eight-speed automatic transmission sending said power to all four wheels via Mazda’s i-Activ All Wheel Drive system. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 8.4L/100km and combined CO2 emissions at 189g/km.
Step inside and you find yourself sitting surprisingly lower, not high up like you may think. It’s nice to feeling like you are sitting inside an SUV of this kind, rather than on it. The leather clad trim and polished premium materials throughout the now familiar Mazda cabin. The Kodo design philosophy is everywhere, offering a minimalist feeling cabin while not being without creature comforts. I also love the contrasting stitching to the leather and digital instrument cluster display.
As far as those creature comforts go, there are plenty of them. You have heated front leather seats, a 360-degree rear camera, which happens to be very clear and crisp through a very intuitive 12.3-inch infotainment system. In fact, said system is actually really nice to use via the CX-80’s selection module, something which is slowly disappearing in favour of purely touch screen systems. You also have Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Wireless Charging, LED headlights, Sat Nav and Mazda’s latest Driver Personalisation system which now includes facial recognition so the car will recognise your face and set the car to your personal preferences, driving position etc.
The CX-80 also benefits immensely from a comprehensive list of built in safety features. In fact, the only feature which is unique to the range-topping Homura is Cruising and Traffic Support. Everything else is standard, such as lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, front cross traffic alert, the list goes on. I would love to have had the BOSE stereo system which is standard only in the Homura, but the regular 8-speaker audio system still does a fine job.
For me, the biggest draw card of the CX-80 SP Hybrid is that 3.3L turbo six pot. It is a slick gem of an engine, providing a delightful coming together of a beefy torque delivery thanks to assistance from the 48V Mild Hybrid battery set up, and a smooth power curve up to high rpm. The addition of M Hybrid Boost also aids in that power and torque delivery and stays with you up to the upper echelons of the rev range.
You also get the textbook six cylinder burble which sounds raspy and just, well, nice, especially when in Sport mode. Mazda’s Mi Drive gives you access to multiple drive modes including Normal, the aforementioned Sport, Off-Road and Towing, which un-braked is rated at 2500kg. Despite off-road mode, I cant see many CX-80 buyers venturing off the beaten track but 175mm of ground clearance is more than ample for loose surface roads or the jaunt to Mt Hutt.
There is a supple softness to the underpinnings and there is an eager sense of turn-in when you change directions. Steering is light but not entirely devoid of feel, striking a good middle ground between ease of use and strong feedback. You do have a certain degree of subtle body roll but the CX-80 SP Hybrid has no problem in tackling those sharper bends and with a kerb weight 2,084kg, you do still feel relatively planted.
In summary, the CX-80 SP Hybrid doesn’t feel anything like what you might expect an entry level model to be. There is plenty to like here, especially that marvelous engine. I would be dead keen to compare apples for apples and try the PHEV versions later on down the track, but this first step into the world of CX-80 was a great one and this new member of Mazda’s CX SUV family is certainly a sweet all-rounder and more than worthy of your attention.
RATING: 8.5/10
