2025 Mazda CX-80 review: International first drive

09/29/2024 10:42 PM

2025 Mazda CX-80

It's hard to know what to make of the Mazda CX-80. Ostensibly, it sits between the flagship CX-90 SUV and the smaller CX-60. Somewhere in there, Australia will also – in the not too distant future – become home to the fourth in this quartet of Mazda SUVs, the CX-70.

Four large SUVs from the same brand that, unsurprisingly, wear the same design language can get a little confusing for buyers, even more so when considering Australia is one of the very few markets anywhere in the world to offer all four – CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.

The simplest way to demystify the Mazda CX-80 is this: it is the longer, larger, seven-seat version of the Mazda CX-60, which is only available with five seats.

It's the same relationship shared by the still-to-arrive CX-70 (five seats only) and the flagship CX-90 (seven seats).

It's a flexibility Mazda Australia is counting on, telling Drive at launch it feels confident there is room enough in the market to serve buyers with different needs.

Drive had the opportunity to sample two variants of what is, in Europe, Mazda's flagship SUV, ahead of its arrival into Australian dealerships in November.

How much is a Mazda CX-80?

Pricing and specifications for the new Mazda CX-80 won't be confirmed until October. However, Drive understands a starting price of around $60,000 before on-road costs for the entry-level Pure model.

That compares favourably with its CX-60 five-seat sibling, which is priced from $59,900 to $85,675 before on-road costs.

Buyers will have a choice of turbocharged 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, both with 48-volt mild hybrid systems. Bolstering the line-up, a plug-in hybrid model will also make its way to Australia. It's powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 129kW electric motor and 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery capable of delivering around 60km of pure electric driving.

All engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and Mazda's i-Activ all-wheel-drive system.

It’s expected four grades of CX-80 – Pure, Touring, GT and Azami – will make their way to Australia, although we stress this is unconfirmed at the time of writing. What follows is our assessment of European market models.

How big is a Mazda CX-80?

The Mazda CX-80 measures in at 4995mm long, 1890mm wide, 1710mm high, and sits on a 3120mm wheelbase.

That makes it significantly larger than the CX-60, some 250mm longer, 24mm higher and with a 250mm longer wheelbase. The width of both models is identical.

That extra length pays dividends inside, where three rows of seating offer space for up to seven occupants. Buyers who prefer to treat their second-row passengers with additional comfort can option a six-seat configuration, which deletes the three-across bench in the second row in favour of individual 'captain's chairs' along with a fixed centre console. Overseas markets also have the option of captain's chairs with a walk-through to the third row, but Mazda has confirmed this layout won't be making its way to Australia.

The cabin treatment is typical Mazda, and that's no bad thing, the Japanese brand having established its identity with well executed and thoughtful interior layouts.

We sampled only highly specified grades at the CX-80's international launch, so we can't speak to the cabin treatment in lower grades. However, all the elements that have seen Mazda rise above some of their competitors are in place.

The quality of materials, such as the nappa leather throughout, is top-notch and speaks to a brand looking to establish its premium bona fides. Every surface is pleasing to touch, soft and yielding with little in the way of hard, scratchy surfaces evident.

Power-adjustable seats and steering wheel make for an easy time of finding the right driving position, which then offers an unobstructed view over the CX-80's bonnet and the road ahead.

A wide centre console, with a nicely padded bi-fold lid, reveals a shallow but serviceable storage area ahead of the obligatory pair of cupholders and a wireless smartphone charging pad. The door pockets can accommodate bottles with plenty of room left over for other small items you might want to stow away.

The steering wheel feels nice in hand, and frames a 12.3-inch digital instrument display that doesn’t offer as much configurability as some set-ups we've come to know. But it is rich in information such as driving and trip data as well as highlighting driving assist systems.

Our test cars were fitted with Mazda's Driver Personalisation System, which uses the driver's height (which you input manually once) to offer the optimal seating position including adjusting the steering wheel for tilt and reach, the angles and height of the door mirrors, as well as the level of the head-up display.

It uses facial recognition to then remember the system's presets and adjusts them automatically should a different person have driven the CX-80 in the meantime.

I tried it out but didn’t come away overly satisfied, the system positioning me closer to the steering wheel than I would normally like, while the steering wheel was raised above a level I felt comfortable with. It might work better for you.

Space in the second row is at plush levels, with plenty of room in all key areas. Your feet sit comfortably and roomily with your feet under the seat ahead while knee room is plentiful. Head room is excellent too, despite the presence of a panoramic sunroof (standard on higher grades), a feature that usually robs occupants in the second row of valuable height. Not so in the CX-80.

We only sampled models with the optional six-seat configuration, so we can't speak to three-across comfort. But certainly, for the two people in row two, getting comfortable and relaxed won’t be a problem.

Amenities in the second row include air vents and individual climate controls as well as cupholders and door pockets that can easily take bottles. There are USB-C plugs to keep devices topped up, while higher grades will also be fitted with manual side window sunshades.

Getting into the third row isn't a stretch, with the second-row seats tumbling and folding forward via a one-touch mechanism to offer a decent aperture for climbing in. That ease of entry is enhanced by tall and particularly long rear doors that provide a decent opening.

Once ensconced in row three it can get a little tight, particularly for adults, but as a comfortable space for kids, the CX-80 fits the seven- (or six-) seater bill. There are cupholders in row three as well as air vents (although no separate climate controls) as well as USB-C ports.

Boot space comes in at 258 litres with all three rows of seating in use. That expands to 687L with the third row folded flat and 1221L (or 1971L to the ceiling) with the second row stowed away. Higher grades will be fitted with a powered tailgate.

Does the Mazda CX-80 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The CX-80's infotainment system is hosted by a 12.3-inch screen running the Japanese brand's Mazda Connect operating system.

It features inbuilt satellite navigation as well as both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The screen itself is not a touchscreen at all times, Mazda maintaining its preference for a rotary dial located in the centre console to effect inputs and scroll through screens.

The caveat here is that the screen does indeed morph into a touchscreen when using CarPlay and Android Auto, making for a more pleasant user experience. We'd venture most owners would be mirroring their smartphones, making the system infinitely more user-friendly.

European models also receive Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa, which uses voice commands to control the CX-80's music, climate controls and navigation. Don’t get too excited, though, Alexa is not making its way to Australia at this stage. Pity.

We spent plenty of time using the CX-80's inbuilt satellite navigation to navigate our way around unfamiliar roads in southern Germany at launch and it proved – mostly – faultless, the only blip when it tried to send us the wrong way down a one-way street.

A 15W wireless charging pad is good for some pretty rapid smartphone charging while USB-C points abound throughout the cabin.

Is the Mazda CX-80 a safe car?

The Mazda CX-80 remains untested by both Euro NCAP and its Australian counterpart, ANCAP. Mazda is confident, however, of achieving a five-star score when testing is undertaken.

What safety technology does the Mazda CX-80 have?

Mazda hasn't scrimped on advanced safety technologies with this new model, the list of standard inclusions long and healthy.

All grades will likely be equipped with autonomous emergency braking with day and night vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, speed sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control.

A 360-degree surround-view camera is standard across all grades.

Other technologies found in European-spec CX-80s that are unconfirmed for Australia at this stage include a rear seat alert which, as the name suggests, alerts drivers to the presence of objects, or more importantly people, in the second or third row.

And Unresponsive Driver Support, which works in conjunction with adaptive cruise control, will take control of the vehicle if it deems that a driver is unresponsive, whether through illness, drowsiness or inattention.

The system will alert the driver with an escalating series of audible and visible warnings, and if the driver fails to respond it will then decelerate to a stop by the side of the road, apply the parking brake, unlock all doors and beep the horn. There has been no confirmation yet whether this will be fitted to Australian-spec CX-80s.

We found the CX-80's safety system well calibrated with only gentle nudging of the steering wheel when venturing too close to lane markings, while adaptive cruise control maintained the set speed and distance to the car in front accurately.

The speed sign recognition did cause some annoyance with its beeps and bongs, although it's not as glaring as some we've encountered. Of course, it can be switched off inside the CX-80's infotainment screen, but there are not shortcut buttons and the numbers of scrolls through multi-layered screens to switch it off proved frustrating, more so for the system defaulting to 'on' every time you start the vehicle. A shortcut button, like other manufacturers have included, would be a boon.

How much does the Mazda CX-80 cost to run?

The Mazda CX-80 has yet to arrive in Australia, meaning we don't know the ongoing servicing or insurance costs yet.

However, we can assume Mazda's standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty will apply to this new model in its line-up. Similarly, we can expect the same service intervals.

In the case of the diesel, Mazda suggests the CX-60 and CX-90 diesel variants visit the workshop every 12 months or 10,000km, which is a bit skinny in terms of distance where the norm in today's new car climate is usually 15,000km.

But, again using the CX-60 as a guide, we'd expect the plug-in hybrid and petrol variants to come with 12 month or 15,000km service intervals.

Similarly, we won't know servicing costs for sure until Mazda releases its figures when the new model arrives in late October or early November.

Again using the diesel-driven CX-60 as a guide, which shares the same powertrain options with the CX-80, owners can expect to pay in the region of $3299 over five years or 50,000km under Mazda's capped-price servicing program.

The six-cylinder petrol CX-60 runs to a similar $3469 over five years or 75,000km, while the plug-in hybrid CX-60 is easily the most affordable variant to maintain, asking for $2676 over five years or 75,000km.

Is the Mazda CX-80 fuel-efficient?

Mazda claims the CX-80 powered by the 3.3-litre inline six diesel will use 5.7–5.8L/100km on the combined cycle based on WLTP testing protocols. Our time with the diesel, encompassing some traffic, swathes of high-speed driving on Germany's Autobahn network, and some country touring through winding and twisting back roads, returned an indicated 6.3L/100km, which isn't too shabby against the manufacturer's claim.

The six-cylinder diesel and petrol-powered CX-80s are equipped with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, which is said to deliver fuel efficiencies by using a small electric motor to support the engine in certain conditions, such as idling and low-rev cruising.

We didn't have the opportunity to drive the six-cylinder petrol CX-80, nor were fuel consumption figures provided at launch.

We did, however, spend a little bit of time in the plug-in hybrid variant with its 2.5-litre petrol engine helped along by a 129kW electric motor fed by a 17.8kWh battery.

Mazda claims a combined consumption figure of just 1.6L/100km. When I got behind the wheel, the battery had been depleted by the previous driver, but I did note an indicated fuel reading of 2.2L/100km when I started the vehicle.

Unfortunately, with no EV driving range, I spent most of my time driving purely on petrol power, which served two purposes.

One, it allowed me to regenerate energy to the tune of 16km of range after around 80km of driving. And two, it served as a timely and real-world reminder that plug-in hybrids are at their best when the battery is maintained in a state of charge.

At the end of my time behind the wheel of the plug-in hybrid, and having only sporadically switched briefly between pure electric, hybrid and combustion-only propulsion, the fuel consumption reading sat at 7.0L/100km, the caveat of course that I started with zero range and wasn't able to charge the battery before taking my turn behind the wheel.

I'd suggest the 2.2L/100km reading I saw when I got behind the wheel for the first time is a truer representation of the CX-80 plug-in hybrid's fuel economy.

What is the Mazda CX-80 like to drive?

The allure of a lusty inline six can't be underestimated. In the Mazda CX-80, we know what we're getting. It's the same six-cylinder turbo-diesel pressed into service in the broader Mazda CX large SUV range. And it's a peach.

With combined outputs of 187kW and 550Nm, the diesel-powered CX-80 is an effortless cruiser, capable of gobbling up distances with ease and refinement.

Mazda claims a 0–100km/h time of 8.4 seconds, not especially quick on paper. But out in the real world, it's enough to see the big SUV moving along nicely with traffic. The diesel comes into its own when more is asked of it for overtaking and merging into traffic. With plenty of torque on tap, and from a very usable 1500–2400rpm, the big SUV surges ahead effortlessly.

Mazda's eight-speed automatic transmission does a decent job of swapping cogs, with slick shifts for the most part that barely make their presence felt.

Helping the diesel-six is Mazda's 48-volt mild hybrid system that takes, according to Mazda, the strain off the combustion engine in low-speed situations, such as moving away from standstill or cruising along at low revs.

Modern diesel engines have become increasingly refined – quiet, frugal and without that tell-tale clatter – Mazda's does elicit a hint of the latter. It's mostly noticeable under harder acceleration, the diesel sounding like, well, a diesel.

Underneath, the CX-80's suspension – double wishbone up front and a multi-link set-up at rear – is tuned for comfort and stability over handling. And for the most part, it's a perfectly friendly set-up, offering a largely cushioned ride without being overly soft on all but the messiest of road surfaces.

It can get a little bumpy at lower speeds, especially when the road underneath isn't perfect, the suspension transmitting every pockmark and undulation back into the cabin. But overall, the ride remains composed and compliant.

Some road noise does transmit into the cabin, although to be fair to the CX-80, this was most noticeable on coarser-chip surfaces in rural Germany. Stretches of the perfectly lined Autobahn system offered a much more serene environment in the cabin.

You wouldn't expect to be able to hustle a large hulking SUV the size of the CX-80 through some spirited corners. And you'd be right, for the most part. It's a heavy SUV, after all, tipping the scales at 2136kg (kerb).

But there's a pleasantness to the way the CX-80 navigates twisting sections of road. It's no corner carver (of course not), but thanks to Mazda's Kinetic Posture Control software, body roll and lean are kept largely in check, making for a pleasant, if not thrilling, experience.

Swapping into the plug-in hybrid CX-80 highlighted the key differences between the two.

On its own, the 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is good for 141kW and 261Nm. But it's boosted by an electric motor pumping out 129kW and 270Nm. Mazda quotes combined numbers of 241kW and 500Nm and a 0–100km/h sprint time of 6.8 seconds, some 1.6 seconds quicker to the benchmark than its diesel counterpart.

It certainly feels sharper off the line, the four-cylinder petrol and electric motor combining nicely to set a brisk pace. But it also feels like it's working a lot harder, with peak torque and power available much higher in the rev range, 4000rpm and 6000rpm respectively.

That makes for a less serene driving experience, the CX-80 PHEV noisier at high speeds and feeling like it's working that little bit harder.

The transition between electric and petrol power is for the most part seamless, the 2.5-litre four burbling into life without too much fuss under normal driving conditions. But that transition can feel a little clunky when a burst of speed is needed for a merge into traffic or an overtake, for example.

There's a momentary pause between pressing the accelerator and the petrol engine taking over the heavy lifting from the electric motor, along with a commensurate jerkiness from the transmission as it transitions from electric to petrol power.

As already outlined, I was only able to experience a short burst of pure-electric driving and it highlighted the electric motor's pronounced whine, which is noticeably louder in the cabin than some other systems we've experienced.

Brisker it might be, but the plug-in hybrid always feels like it's working much harder than its diesel-powered stablemate, which remains largely poised and relaxed.

Should I buy a Mazda CX-80?

The new Mazda CX-80 is a polished and refined family SUV with a pleasing and spacious interior and, in the case of the diesel we tested at launch, a comfortable and refined driving experience.

While the plug-in hybrid has its appeal in terms of fuel economy and reduced emissions, provided it’s utilised properly, there's something about a powerful diesel that's hard not to be smitten by.

Refined, powerful and easy to drive, with an interior that blurs the line between mainstream and premium, the Mazda CX-80 is well worth a look if your motoring needs run to a large and comfortable seven-seater.

How do I buy a Mazda CX-80? The next steps.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Mazda website for updates on when the CX-80 will arrive in Australia. You can also find Mazdas for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Mazda dealer via this link.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.

The post 2025 Mazda CX-80 review: International first drive appeared first on Drive.