Mazda rethinks CX-60 positioning

MAZDA Australia will refocus its intentions with the CX-60 midsize SUV in 2025, with a revised range including more affordable models to appeal to more customers.

This reappraisal of the pricing could essentially be seen as an admission that the brand had moved too far upwards for the CX-60 range when it launched 18 months ago.

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi said the brand will introduce the “updated Mazda CX-60” by mid-2025.

“It's a significant change that reflects our aim of continuous improvement, and it’s timing is in line with Mazda's usual policy of implementing regular, meaningful model revisions, given the vehicle has been in the market for more than 18 months,” he said.

“Two new grades in the form of an entry level Pure and a Touring [variant] is planned to be added to the range, while Evolve and GT models gain the Vision Technology Package content.

“And in response to customer feedback, we will have updates to the suspension, steering and transmission in line with those made to the Mazda CX-80.”

For the unaware, Mazda introduced the CX-60 and then rolled out a running change to all new CX-60s, with the choice of a retrofit adjustment for existing customers for their suspension and transmission calibration.

Now there’s yet another change in the works, with further enhancements – according to the brand – to the ride, handling and transmission behaviour of the brand’s in-house developed, torque-converter-less eight-speed transmission.

“The update on the suspension, transmission is what we described,” added Mr Bhindi.

“Now that was mainly based on feedback from yourselves – around the globe, not just Australia – but customers, in particular in Australia, I suppose our roads are not as smooth as some other parts of the world, it’s pretty rough.

“So, although our engineers still believe they delivered a car that was reflective of the targets that they set themselves – they wanted it to be a driver's car, a firmer experience, etc – but customers have said, ‘we need a softer drive’, because it's … not just about the driver, the family and the occupants,” he said, echoing findings by many automotive journalists that the vehicle felt ‘unfinished’.”

Alistair Doak, head of marketing for Mazda Australia, said the changes are considered significant for the scope of this program, even though “visually, there is no change”.

“The transmission controls have been modified, the ‘brains controller’ having been updated again,” he said.

“But if you ask Shibata-san, the head of the program, he would call it the equivalent of a facelift, because they are making significant changes to the suspension in this case.

“In other cases, it can be design, it could be something else, but in their sense, there is enough engineering change for them to say this is a updated model – so we'll have, internally, we’ll have a new model code, as opposed to just a running change that we changed one thing and that’s all, and it is a global change.”

As for changes to the range and the offering for buyers, Mr Bhindi wouldn’t disclose the exact details but made it clear that the brand intends to be more aggressive with the line-up when the revised model hits our shores.

“Now, it’s too early to talk about pricing yet, but our current driveway pricing offers on CX-60 have resulted in a 20 per cent uplift in sales,” he said of the recent drive-away deals of $59,990 for the current entry-level Evolve grade.

“So, you can be confident that the 2025 model’s value proposition will be compelling and aligned closely to CX-80,” he said, hinting that we will see a sub-$50K price for the entry-level five-seat CX-60, as the new three-row CX-80 Pure starts from just under $55K before on-roads.

In the CX-80, the Pure grade is only available with the six-cylinder petrol engine known as G40e, but it has an eight-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel drive system.

When asked if Mazda would consider an even cheaper rear-wheel drive version of the base model Pure CX-60, Mr Bhindi said such a model isn’t on offer for our market.

It is yet to be confirmed if there are any changes to the powertrains for the CX-60, but if there isn’t, the brand will continue to offer the G40e six-cylinder petrol, D50e six-cylinder diesel and P50e plug-in hybrid petrol four-cylinder model.