The Mazda CX-60 is currently sold in Australia, Japan, and Europe – and it heralds a new era in the Japanese carmaker’s history.

It may look like a refreshed and lengthened Mazda CX-5, but it is a totally different animal underneath.

Take a peek at the spec sheet, and this five-seat crossover looks more like a Japanese competitor to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which plays along the purposeful move to premium that the company set itself on a few years ago.

To reinforce its premium leanings, the CX-60 is rear-wheel drive with optional all-wheel drive. It is the first model to use Mazda’s Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture platform that is also expected to be used on the upcoming CX-90 seven-seater.

Although word is going around that Mazda Philippines is looking into bringing in the CX-60 in early 2023, nothing has been officially announced yet.

But if it does arrive, here’s what you can expect.

Most powerful production Mazda

Pop the hood of the Mazda CX-60 and you’ll see that it really is taking the fight to the Germans.

Because it’s rear-wheel drive, it uses a longitudinal engine layout. And for this, Mazda has decided to put in a turbocharged 3.3-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve inline-6 powerplant with mild-hybrid technology.

The gasoline version pumps out 284 PS and 450 Nm of torque, while the diesel produces 254 PS and 550 Nm of torque. 

There’s also a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) CX-60 that uses a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine with an electric motor.

This combined output of 328 PS and 500 Nm of torque makes it the most powerful production Mazda ever made (yes, even more than the venerable, twin-turbocharged RX-7 sports car).

All CX-60s use an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

As to which powertrain will make it to local showrooms remains to be seen.

Logic dictates the gasoline mild hybrid, but the PHEV should differentiate it from the CX-8 and CX-9, justify a price increase and provide Mazda with much-needed green credentials in the Philippines.

‘Kodo’ evolution

Style-wise, the Mazda CX-60 departs less dramatically from its front-wheel-drive stablemates' "Kodo" design language.

You still get pointed headlights up front that flow into Mazda’s shield-like grill. Aggressive intakes flank the lower bumper.

The side profile is much like the Mazda CX-5, with the addition of fender vents and more character lines around the wheel arches.

Out back, it’s still standard Mazda, with big wraparound taillights and a very pert rear bumper. It does remind us of the Jaguar F-Pace, don't yout think?

Award-winning safety tech

The Mazda CX-60 has also been lauded for its state-of-the-art safety features, winning the 2022-2023 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car Technology of the Year award.

It comes with an infrared camera that can see if the driver is dozing off. It also accurately detects sudden changes in the driver's physical condition based on changes in posture and head position. 

More than that, the CX-60 will come to a halt when it detects that the driver has lost consciousness. Its Driver Emergency Assist feature automatically stops the car and makes an emergency call.

The crossover also comes with Driving Position Support. The system determines the ideal seating position for the driver after he or she inputs his or her height on the vehicle's settings page. 

It also allows for easier ingress and egress for the driver as it moves the seat and steering wheel away as the driver enters or alights from the car.

Priced above the CX-5

The Mazda CX-60 is positioned above Mazda’s front-wheel-drive crossovers in a bid for the Japanese carmaker to take on more premium brands.

In Australia, the entry-level, 3.3-liter gasoline variant starts at AUS$ 59,800 and goes all the way to AUS$ 87,252 for the range-topping plug-in hybrid model.

This means, as of press time, the CX-60’s price range is from ₱2.25 million to ₱3.28 million when converted to local currency.

This puts it well within, and even above, the Mazda CX-8 and CX-9's pricing territories in the Philippines.

The CX-60 belongs to the new "Large Product" lineup along with the CX-50, CX-70, and CX-90 models.

It is also produced under Mazda’s electrification program, which is part of a bigger goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Mazda said it expects EVs to make up 25 to 40 percent of its global sales by 2030.

What do you think? Should Mazda Philippines bring in the CX-60 to replace, and not just complement, the CX-5?