Consider this the Mazda CX-60, take two. The first version, launched in Australia in 2023, was expensive, copped criticism for a harsh and unresolved drive experience, and thus largely sat on the shelf, with buyers instead flocking to the ageing (and soon to be replaced) CX-5 instead.
Flash forward to 2025, and the CX-60 is back, only this time it is significantly cheaper, and — to Mazda’s credit — the Japanese brand has acknowledged the ride missteps of the past, and vowed this time it has got the balance right.
But have they? Read on.
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2025 Mazda CX-60 PHEV price and equipment
The cheapest way into the CX-60 PHEV is now via the new Pure trim level, and its yours for $63,290 plus on-road costs. In 2023, the cheapest PHEV was the Evolve, which was $72,300, so we’re talking big savings here.
The pencil has been sharpened across the plug-in board, with that same Evolve now $68,290, the Touring $71,290, the GT $77,290, and the flagship Azami $81,490.
We’ll focus on the Pure here, because it’s a well-sorted entry point to plug-in hybrid life. It gets Mazda’s punchy powertrain setup, which pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a 129kW electric motor and a 17.8kWh Lithium-ion battery.
All up, you get a total 241kW and 500Nm, an eight-speed auto with AWD, claimed fuel use of 2.1L/100km on the combined cycle, and an all-electric range of 76 kilometres. The PHEV part is set up for a maximum 7.2kW AC charging (your wallbox at home), and will go from 20 to 80 percent charged in 90 mins.
Outside there are 18-inch alloys, LED headlights and body-coloured mirrors. Inside, the seats are cloth (not overly ‘premium’), there’s a leather wheel and shifter, and dual-zone climate with rear vents for backseat riders.
Tech is handled by a 10.25-inch central screen, and a 12.3-inch driver screen. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker stereo.
To get better seat materials, and wireless charging, you have to spring for the Evolve. Which I’m not sure how I feel about, given the $60k-plus ask for the Pure.
It wears a five-star safety rating, the CX-60, and the Pure gets front and rear parking sensors, rear-cross traffic alerts, AEB, an around-view monitor, lane keeping and blind-spot monitoring. The active safety offering improves as you step up the grades.
2025 Mazda CX-60 PHEV: What we think
The talk around just why the CX-60 has been so heavily updated so quickly is interesting from Mazda. To hear them say it, the company listened to the feedback from the media and customers and acted accordingly. But… they also say there wasn’t actually anything much wrong with the vehicle being replaced, other than it was perhaps too focused on perfect driving conditions, rather than the cut-and-thrust of peak-hour traffic over pockmarked and questionable road surfaces.
But whatever, I still think the brand demands kudos for tackling the issue head-on, and for being so confident in the changes that they unleashed the updated 2025 CX-60 right alongside the outgoing model at the Lang Lang proving ground so we could back-to-back the models on the same road.
The dampers and springs have been altered, and the rear anti-roll bar entirely removed. Hardware has been swapped out, and the engine and gearbox recalibrated, all for the sake of improving the ride.
Short answer? The changes have made a real and noticeable difference to the way the CX-60 drives in certain conditions. While the old vehicle feels restless and unsettled over road bumps at speed, the new one settles nicely, and feels altogether more composed and confident. The gearbox is now smoother and largely unobtrusive, too.
The result is a vehicle that, while definitely erring on the firm side when it comes to the ride on anything but a super-smooth service, feels more comfortable and confidence-inspiring at speed.
While not every back-to-back test delivered similar lightning-bolt results, the high-speed damping is genuinely noticeable, and on one of those high-speed bumpy country roads, the difference is real.
Happily, the changes haven’t softened the CX-60’s character so much that its floaty or boat-like, either.
But there’s little doubting that it won’t be the chassis retune that draws new customers to Mazda dealerships. It will be the money, and specifically, the fact that they now need less of it to buy a CX-60.
Will that be enough to kickstart Mazda’s premium push? Time will tell.
2025 Mazda CX-60: Verdict
Well done to Mazda for identifying a problem and getting to work in fixing it. That, and the sharp new pricing model, might just see the CX-60 appear on plenty more shopping lists.
Score: 4/5
2025 Mazda CX-60 specifications
Price: $63,290 plus on-road costs
Basics: PHEV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, AWD
Range: 76kms EV only
Battery capacity: 17.8kWh Lithium-ion
Battery warranty: Eight-years/160,000km
Energy consumption: 14.8kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel consumption: 2.1L/100Km Combined (ADR)
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Motors: 1 front, 129 kW
Combined output: 241kW and 500Nm
AC charging: 11kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: N/A
0-100km/h: 8 seconds (estimated)
