Mazda will continue filling every conceivable gap in its lineup of crossovers when it unveils a new model called CX-60. Positioned above the CX-50 launched in 2021, the CX-60 will help the Japanese firm move upmarket with a rear-wheel-drive platform and an upscale design.
The next addition to the Mazda range will inaugurate the rear-wheel-drive architecture that we’ve heard about for years. Official details are few and far between, but we know that one of the CX-60’s available powertrains will be a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid system built around a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and tuned to develop over 300 horsepower. We’re guessing that Mazda’s upcoming straight-six engine will be offered in some markets as well. Rear-wheel-drive will come standard, and all-wheel-drive will presumably be offered at an extra cost.
While the preview image distributed by Mazda reveals little about the CX-60’s design, spy shots published in November 2021 suggest that designers took full advantage of the new architecture to dial in the proportions that we expect from a rear-wheel-drive car. The hood is relatively long — much longer than the CX-50’s, for example — and the familiar shield-shaped grille remains but it gains a pair of thin LEDs that stretch into the headlights. It’s also interesting to note that the two cars caught on camera were not wearing rugged-looking body cladding.
Mazda will introduce the CX-60 online on March 8, but whether the model will be sold in America is up in the air; an earlier report claims that it won’t be. Looking ahead, the company will release a three-row variant of the CX-60 called CX-80, and it will launch a pair of bigger SUVs called CX-70 and CX-90, respectively, for the American market. If you’re more into sedans, the next-generation Mazda6 is on its way, too.
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