Mazda CX-60 Takumi review – This hybrid is a blast to drive

The Takumi is the flagship to the Mazda CX-60 that launched in South Africa, and it builds upon an already solid foundation with an excellent new powertrain that can offer excitement and great fuel-efficiency in equal measure.

It is unique for being the only diesel hybrid in the country, and it is an amazing showcase for what Mazda is capable of with sleek styling, build quality, features, and a user-friendly experience.

A hybrid that’s too fun to drive

When it was launched in South Africa in 2023, the CX-60 was exclusively sold with a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 141kW and 261Nm – which is a bit on the low end for such a large SUV.

Happily, Mazda has answered our prayers with a new 3.3-litre turbocharged diesel block which cranks things up to a substantial 187kW and 550Nm, and you can feel the results.

The Takumi is an absolute blast to drive, as it accelerates from 0-100km/h in a respectable 7.3 seconds despite weighing nearly 2.5 tonnes.

There are three driving modes for Normal, Sport, and Off-Road which you can select from a Mi-Drive toggle switch on the centre console, and each of these are represented by a graphical change in the digital driver display.

Sport mode makes a very noticeable difference to the throttle response as the revs are quick to climb, and the driving experience is complemented by a fantastic chorus from the exhaust.

Paddle shifters are available to operate the eight-speed automatic gearbox, and the SUV handles itself well enough around corners despite having relatively heavy steering.

As for the few times when you aren’t in Sport mode, the brakes are responsive while being appreciably soft so you won’t slamming to a halt very often – much to the appreciation of any passengers.

Credit must also be given to Mazda’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which I found to be far less intrusive on the CX-60 than on many other cars.

It’s quite common for me to immediately turn off the lane-keep assist on any review car I receive, but the Takumi’s is not overbearing and will vibrate the wheel and indicate on the display how far you are veering out of lane.

That being said, there are still times when the lane-keep can be an issue, such as when I tried to give a cyclist a wider berth when overtaking or when roadworks necessitated that the traffic shift to the other side of the road and I had to fight the hard corrections the car made to stay in the lane.

Other systems like the blind spot monitors work well, and the adaptive cruise control is incredibly easy to setup with buttons on the steering wheel to adjust both the speed and following distance.

There’s also a heads-up display, and the 360-degree camera can be quickly pulled up with a physical button which made parking the big SUV a breeze.

Of course, the Takumi is a hybrid, and the Japanese automaker claims it can achieve an average consumption as low as 4.9l/100km.

The trouble is, the CX-60 can be so fun to drive in Sport mode that your mileage is likely to be the last thing on your mind.

Driving it around town in Normal mode with a mix of highway and suburban roads, my consumption came to around 7.0l/00km, and I’m convinced that it is possible to achieve something much lower than that with a more restrained foot.

The one big trade-off with the Mazda’s sporty undertones is that its suspension is on the stiffer side regardless of the vehicle’s settings, which is a bit of a let down for a luxury SUV.

It’s particularly noticeable when you take the car off the tarmac, something which it is fully capable of doing with its all-wheel-drive system, Off-Road mode, and hill-descent control, and while I wouldn’t describe the CX-60 as uncomfortable, it is clear that 4×4 trekking is not its day job.

Superb build quality

The Takumi is very easy to live with owing to its user-friendly design and extensive spec sheet.

By far the coolest addition is Mazda’s Personalization System, which can save multiple drivers and adjusts everything about the driving position from the seats to the steering wheel and side mirrors.

I invited several people from the TopAuto office to try out the system, and each person commented that they’d never felt like they’d had such a perfect seating position before.

The cabin is appreciably spacious (helped out by an enormous panoramic sunroof) and the seats are both comfortable and stylish with a khaki pattern breaking up the black leather.

There’s a wireless pad with an indicator light showing when your phone is charging, and most of the cabin surfaces are covered in soft-touch materials which greatly add to the premium feeling of the range-topping SUV.

There are two large armrests for the centre console, though the storage bin underneath is disappointingly shallow and is only good for small items like smartphones.

This brings us to the one aspect of the CX-60’s design which I was not sold on, the infotainment system.

Mazda is one of the few carmakers on the market that still opts to use a rotary dial system instead of a touch display, and there are pros and cons to this approach.

On the one hand, the central display is a reasonable size that feels big without hogging the dashboard like it does on other modern cars, and the user interface (UI) is intuitive to navigate by rotating, clicking, and shifting the dial on the console.

The Takumi also has dedicated buttons for the ventilated seats and climate controls, which is a welcome inclusion.

Where the experience breaks down is when you try to perform more advanced functions or connect your smartphone.

The CX-60 has onboard navigation, but it’s time consuming to enter a destination by selecting every letter one by one on a rotary alphabet screen instead of just typing it out via touch.

It also does not support wireless Android Auto, so you’ll need to connect your phone and leave it in the storage bin as this is where the USB ports are located.

When you are using Auto, it becomes clear that the UI is intended for touchscreens as it’s a cumbersome process to cycle through every icon to find the one you want.

Having said that, the navigation works well with the heads-up display, and you’ll be treated to a Bose stereo when your music is set up.

As for the other aspects of the design, the boot can swallow an accommodating 477 litres and it features a useful blind that connects to the rear door so it doesn’t get in the way when you are reaching into the back.

The car itself can also look quite stunning at times, especially with the red paint scheme that we got on the review model.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-60 Takumi is a shining example of what the automaker is capable of, with an awesome new engine that elevates an already proven concept.

At a starting price of R1,049,200, it is the most expensive Mazda in South Africa, and it may be difficult for some to come to terms with that price tag considering that there are options from premium brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi for similar money.

However, for that price you can expect a cabin that feels every bit as luxurious as the competition while also boasting phenomenal build quality.

Its performance may not be on the same level as a full-fledged hot SUV like the VW Tiguan R, but it can nonetheless deliver an exhilarating afternoon on top of having great fuel economy on a day-to-day basis.

The infotainment system will be hit-or-miss depending on your personal preferences, but the rest of the driving experience is top-notch, and you’ll find yourself wanting to take just one more back road on the way home in this fun and stylish SUV.

Mazda CX-60 Takumi