Mazda CX-80 review: 7-seater's four-star diesel powertrain beats lackluster hybrid 'without question'

If the Mazda CX-80 looks familiar, it's because it is essentially a stretched out CX-60 | Mazda

For the first time in the UK, well certainly since its 5 MPV which hasn’t been on sale for more than 10 years, Mazda has a seven-seater in its showrooms. But you’d be forgiven if you thought the new three-row flagship model looks familiar. The reality is; it is familiar. It’s essentially a stretched CX-60 which, in many ways, is no bad thing. The longer wheelbase has allowed for the fitting of a third row of seats.

Going head-to-head with fellow seven-seaters, including the Hyundai Santa Fe, which itself has recently been updated, and the latest Skoda Kodiaq, the CX-80 is around 25cms longer than the CX-60 and stands 3cms taller. Four-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Buyers get the choice of a meaty 3.3-litre straight-six diesel, or a petrol plug-in hybrid. Prices start at £48,920 for the PHEV and £51,455 for the diesel.

A 3.3-litre diesel?

Yup. And it’s a stonker. First seen in the CX-60, the silky-smooth 3.3-litre straight-six mild-hybrid diesel delivers 251bhp and 550Nm of torque, and covers 0-62mph in 8.4secs. Mazda claims it’ll return around 50mpg, which from my evidence can easily be achieved on a long run.

Of course, just the mere mention of the word ‘diesel’ is enough to have environmentalists venting their spleens in fury. So it’s fair to say the diesel will have a limited audience. Which is a pity. But I’ll come back to that later.

What about the plug-in hybrid?

Not surprisingly, Mazda states this will be, by some margin, the principal seller in the CX-80 range. The power unit pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined 323bhp and 500Nm of torque, with the e-motor providing a big chunk of that instantly. From standstill, 62mph comes round in 6.8 seconds.

Mazda CX-80 | Mazda

It also allows for electric-only travel, with the 17.8kWh battery delivering a claimed electric range of 38 miles. But while that’s similar to the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV, it’s close to just half of that achieved by the Skoda Kodiaq plug-in.

Worth just mentioning here that both the diesel and the PHEV have a 2.5-tonne towing capacity.

What’s the CX-80 like to drive?

On the billiard table-smooth German autobahns and country roads in the area around Munich, I drove both versions. Immediately it’s clear that the Mazda engineers have improved the suspension settings first seen in the CX-60. The ride is much improved — even factoring in the two cars I drove sat on 20-in alloys — and even on the few ‘rough’ patches of road we encountered, it was far more settled. A contributor to the ride improvement is obviously the longer wheelbase.

The big disappointment, as in the CX-60, continues to be the plug-in hybrid. It’s slow and hesitant, in both its operation and performance. If you want to get anywhere near the performance the figures suggest the car is actually capable of, you need to have the CX-80 set to Sport mode. That, of course, then has a negative effect on fuel consumption figures.

Refinement is also lacking. The PHEV appears not to even want to try to hide the transition from electric motor to engine, resulting in a few noises in the cabin. There’s also, disconcertingly, a pause when you ask for a sudden burst of speed, such as when overtaking.

The diesel meanwhile, as I mentioned previously, is, as is the case with the CX-60, the engine to have. Without question it is more refined, smoother and more responsive. It feels like it will accelerate forever and would happily barrel through a brick wall for you. Though I certainly wouldn’t recommend trying it. Considering the price point, it’s a superb powertrain.

And what about economy?

Theoretically, the PHEV wins hands down. Officially it can return 176.6mpg on the ‘weighted combined’ cycle. I know: we’ve been here before with these ‘official’ figures. To even attempt to get anywhere near this in ‘real world’ driving conditions, you would need to very sparing with petrol power and fully charge the hybrid battery before every trip.

The reality is, depending on what your routine or route is, the economy you achieve will vary enormously.

The diesel, we know, returns 49.6mpg in entry-level Exclusive-line trim.

Trim levels and prices

There are five trim levels offered, and all come with a healthy list of standard kit. Even the entry-level Exclusive-Line, which starts at £48,920 gets three-zone climate control, a heated and leather-trimmed steering wheel, black leather interior trim plus those 18in alloys.

Next up is the Homura. Priced from £52,070, it gets a sportier look and feel thanks to darkened trim and black 20in alloys. It also benefits from an upgrade to soft Nappa leather inside, plus ambient interior lighting. The top-spec Takumi has a more luxury feel to the cabin, thanks to its light-coloured interior and additional chrome highlights. It’s priced from £53,020.

Both the Homura and Takumi can be upgraded further by the addition of a Plus Pack. This adds more high-end goodies including a privacy glass tint on the rear windows, adaptive headlights and a panoramic sunroof. These models cost £54,720 and £55,670, respectively.

The plush interior of the Takumi grade trim, in left-hand drive | The plush interior of the Takumi grade trim, in left-hand drive

The above prices are all for the PHEV version. Opt for the diesel and each will cost you an extra £2500.

There’s a healthy level of driver assistance and safety kit standard on both the diesel and PHEV, including emergency lane-keep assistance and lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition and blind-spot monitoring. The Plus Pack on the Homura and Takumi adds adaptive cruise control.

Right: tell me about the interior?

The CX-80 comes with seven seats as standard. But the SUV can also be configured with two six-seater layouts which replace the second-row bench with two captain’s chairs. Not only are they supremely comfortable and stylish, but buyers have the option to have either an open walk-through space between them, or a console with extra storage and cup-holders.

Space up-front is more than you’ll ever need, and there’s plenty of room in the second row. There’s also a separate set of climate controls for passengers and some USB-C charging ports for their devices. Plus the huge rear doors open wide enough to allow for easy access to the third row of seats.

At 5ft 8in, I could comfortably sit in the third-row seats. But even a six-foot colleague said there was more than enough headroom and legroom for him in the rearmost seats. And for those right at the back, Mazda designers have provided separate sets of air vents and cup-holders, which is a nice touch.

Drivers can configure the seats so that the centre seat on the middle bench folds down for a 6-seat configuration instead of 7 or 5 | Mazda

Back up-front, Mazda again highlights its strength in ergonomics. If you’re not a fan of big touchscreens which so many manufacturers now use for every conceivable control, you’ll love the CX-80. The Mazda screen is operated solely by a rotary controller, so no streaky, smeary smudgy fingerprints. Plus there’s lots of physical switchgear, even for the climate control. Hurrah! Mazda’s build quality again remains excellent.

As for bootspace. With all the CX-80’s seats in place you can stash 258-litres of stuff. Fold the rearmost seats flat and that increases to 687-litres. Folding them is a quick and simple function: you merely pull straps on the backs of both. Fold the middle row of seats and stowage increase dramatically to 1221-litres, or 1971-litres if you pack things right to the ceiling.

Verdict

Without question the CX-80 is an excellent large family SUV, with its third row of seats — which are more useable than a number of main rivals — and overall flexibility making it attractive to potential buyers.

There remains the dilemma surrounding the plug-in hybrid. We all know it’s the powertrain route we should probably be travelling, but in the case of the CX-80 there is no question the better engine, and more enjoyable driving experience comes with the diesel tucked under the bonnet.

Your decision-making probably comes down to two things: a. your stance on the environment; and b. getting your abacus out and working the mileage/cost combined figures to see whether the diesel or PHEV suits you best. Me? I’d happily be in the minority and have the diesel.