- The Mazda CX-60, set to go on sale in global markets but not the U.S., saw confirmed power numbers for its engine lineup Friday.
- Among the three available powertrains, the turbocharged, mild hybrid 3.3-liter inline-six manages 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque for the Australian market.
- The 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid, for its part, gets a rating of 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful Mazda to date.
- We’ll eventually see both the 3.3-liter I6 and PHEV when the CX-70 and CX-90 arrive in the U.S.
- Mazda’s next crossover (likely the CX-90) will come first, sometime in the year.
I know what you’re thinking — just 280 horsepower?
That’s not a typo, as Mazda’s Australian arm announced power outputs for three available powertrains in that market. The 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six is the mill we’re particularly interested in, as we’ve interpreted it as the brand’s new flagship powertrain. In an age where automakers can eke 416 horsepower out of a four-cylinder (like Mercedes can), or 300 horsepower out of a three-pot (like Toyota), seeing just 280 (209 kW) out of six cylinders in the overseas CX-60 crossover is objectively underwhelming.
The engine’s torque figure, at 332 lb-ft (450 N-m), is only marginally better than what’s currently available — more on that in a moment.
Will we see more power when the six-cylinder reaches American shores?
It’s worth noting that power figures like these can be market specific, so U.S. buyers may see more power than the CX-70 and CX-90 land here. Mazda wouldn’t tell Australian outlet CarExpert whether the larger six-pot would come in different states of tune depending on the vehicle and market.
For some added context, Mazda’s current 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G turbo engine produces up to 256 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque in U.S.-spec vehicles like the CX-50. On that basis, it’s possible we’ll see a power bump for the larger engine, but we’ll ultimately have to wait and see. Building a brand-new engine for a brand-new platform and only giving it a bit more power than the current turbocharged unit doesn’t really make much sense.
On that note, let’s briefly cover the plug-in hybrid powertrain. This is actually Mazda’s most powerful propulsion system to date, putting out 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Why consider the straight-six over the PHEV? That’s a tough question to answer based on the baseline specifications, and Mazda will need to answer that question as it pitches both powertrains to an American audience.
