MAZDA

We drive Mazda CX-60 with E-Skyactiv D diesel engine

The plug-in battery hybrid was a huge disappointment for me because its drivetrain felt incomplete at that software level. When used as an electric car, it performed as expected, but when driven as a hybrid, its shredded, high-consumption engine is a far cry from the hybrid propulsion systems that have been on the market for years.

The situation is quite different with diesel. Firstly, we only find six-cylinder engines in asphalt SUVs of some premium brands, the new GLC does not even have them. In addition, two cylinders compared to an inline four-cylinder engine raises the car to a much higher level in terms of comfort, atmosphere, prestige and driving pleasure.

Not necessarily in engine power, because the two-liter four-cylinder GLC 300d has 269 + 23 horsepower. The advantages of the inline-six can be modeled on the CX-60 diesel compared to the painfully fragmented plug-in hybrid. This car was complete with this engine.

Even at the lowest power level, the six-cylinder diesel has the will, although 200 horsepower doesn't sound like much from such a large body. However, the engine here is 3.3 liters, which does not need to be supercharged for 200 or 254 horsepower, so the 450 Nm that the most modest version can produce is very harmonious and lives at low revs, between 1400 and 3000 .

It also has enough performance to not only cause drunkenness and joy in enthusiastic driving, but also to worry passengers who see dangers even at medium acceleration. Or let the advance provoke the disapproval of our life partner.

The character of the more powerful engine version is also pleasing. At idle, it has that big, boat-like engine feel we love so much about BMW and Mercedes in-line six-cylinder diesels. His voice is also beautiful and honest, so it's not artificially crazy, colored with sound generator, enriched with speaker radiation.

It has more power, and also displays its maximum torque at very low revs (550 Nm is given from 1500 to 2400). Pulled out, it easily revs up to 5,000, but you can feel that the premium brands release peak torque and load better.

Just for the extra power, it's not worth choosing the 254 hp engine, the four-wheel drive is its most important asset. Rear-wheel drive has its limits on roads that are snowy or slippery from rain, although the transfer of torque to the ground was impeccable in dry spring weather during the Catalunya road test.

Four-wheel drive is also better for towing. The trailer can weigh 2,500 kilograms, which is consistent with all drivetrains, including the hybrid.

With the more powerful diesel, the Mazda CX-60 accelerates to 100 km/h a second faster than the 200 hp, in 7.4 seconds, and its top speed improves more modestly, 219 km/h in instead of 212. The diesel engines are therefore faster than the 327 hp hybrid, which is reduced to 200 so that the gasoline engine can maintain that speed even with a dead battery and no support from the electric motor.

The automatic transmission and engine combination would be worth a few tweaks. Especially when driven peacefully, with low acceleration, the starting reactions are not as smooth as in the best in class. But maybe it's a gift.

Here, instead of a hydrodynamic torque converter for a planetary automatic gearbox, the manufacturer uses a multi-disc oil clutch, this multi-disc clutch helps to start and separate the engine and gearbox. But let's not be unfair to Mazda, because it provides premium branded technology by pricing the car well below premium products, see cost section.

In fast corners, the side lean means that the CX-60 deserves a lot of adaptive damping. However, the car also works on Kinematic Stance Control, the system that reduces lateral lean with imperceptible braking impulses given to the rear wheel within the arc.

You have to turn the steering wheel a lot, which takes getting used to, especially in the city and when cornering. Even so, it's nice to go fast with it, because the steering is precise, the chassis is benevolent in the extreme, and the cheerful underpainting of the tires that screech as you approach the limit of grip heightens the sense of speed on winding roads.

Comfort can also be improved with electronically controlled shock absorbers, because the suspension is unstable even on these cars, which Mazda is trying to make more comfortable by replacing shock absorbers and anti-roll bars, based on initial feedback.

If the owner dissatisfied with the noise requests it, the aftermarket will replace the hardware with a more comfortable one free of charge, but unfortunately the car doesn't drive comfortably with the new set either.

While inline, longitudinal, rear or all-wheel drive technology is clearly typical of premium brands, the Mazda CX-60 lags behind premium products in certain details. For example, the front seat cushions cannot be stretched, and the lumbar support can only be adjusted in and out, not up and down.

The fact that there is a pure rear-wheel drive version with the 200hp diesel is very good in the structure of the range. Unfortunately, stability control cannot be turned off, but by disabling the anti-spin, it is possible to drive healthy on loose terrain.

The CX-60 starts to cruise well, after the heady moments of hooliganism, the ESP intervenes. However, that's still a lot more than most SUVs can handle. Every little sip can and should be enjoyed, it's a gift in the ever more exclusive CX-60 rear-wheel drive diesel.

Szörényi András