Mazda sold one CX-60 per day in August – Why this is better than it sounds

Mazda’s new CX-60 is proving to be one of the more popular luxury SUVs in its price bracket, the Japanese automaker selling 31 units of the vehicle in August and beating out more well-known competitors such as the Mitsubishi Outlander (20 units), Nissan X-Trail (18 units), and Subaru Forester (16 units).

While these brands may not be considered contenders for the best-selling spots, they all battle it out in the incredibly-competitive midfield where value for money trumps brand recognition, the latter of which is a big driver behind many of the top-ranking automakers’ impressive sales numbers.

The CX-60’s performance as a complete newcomer in the category is therefore a rather impressive one, especially considering it beat out Mazda’s other long-standing (and less expensive) models like the 3 hatchback and the CX-30 crossover – which garnered 14 and 13 sales in August, respectively.

Since its domestic debut in May, Mazda’s fresh-faced flagship SUV welcomed a total of 145 new South African customers, securing a solid foothold in the R700,000-to-R800,000 luxury SUV segment.

More to come

The CX-60 is Mazda’s first model out of its next-generation portfolio of products, which is set to systematically replace the brand’s current offerings as they near the end of their lifecycles.

Recently, Craig Roberts, Managing Director (MD) of Mazda Southern Africa, confirmed that the subsidiary is forging ahead with the rollout of its new SUVs and that local fans can further expect the CX-80 to arrive in the second quarter of 2024, a larger version of the CX-60 that recently landed on our shores.

The CX-80 is built upon the same platform as its 60-badged sibling but boasts a longer body to accommodate two extra seats in the boot – meaning it is likely to tease the five-metre mark in length as the CX-60 already comes in at 4.74 metres.

Roberts also confirmed that the seven-seater will use the same 2.5-litre petrol engine as the five-seater, but that it will additionally be offered with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of this powertrain marking the first time Mazda South Africa will have a PHEV in its stable.

In the CX-60, this PHEV foundation is already available in markets such as the UK, consisting of a 129kW electric motor and 17.8kWh battery combined with the aforementioned petrol mill for a total output of 241kW and 500Nm.

The powerful setup lends the SUV a 0-100km/h time of just 5.8 seconds and a maximum all-electric driving range of 68km.

The company has not yet confirmed whether the exact same driveline will be transported over to the CX-80 unchanged, either way, potential owners can look forward to a rather powerful Mazda hitting our roads early next year.

Mazda MX-30

Roberts further said Mazda has plans to launch a new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in various markets, including South Africa, by 2026.

While the manufacturer currently has a BEV on sale in North America and Europe in the form of the MX-30, it hasn’t been too well received since its release in 2019, so much so that it was discontinued in the United States a mere two years after its launch.

Thus, it is expected that the BEV coming to South Africa will be an all-new model that will be unveiled within the next two years.