Choice is king in the consumer world. Whether it’s cars, clothes, food or, well, anything, we love to have freedom of choice.
It’s clearly something Mazda has taken to heart, with the Japanese brand offering seven SUVs across its current range including this one – the ‘first-ever’ CX-80. It’s actually part of a new wave of ‘first-ever’ SUVs from the brand, four more premium offerings built on a new platform and designed to continue the brand’s shift from mainstream to semi-premium and now, potentially, a true premium alternative.
The problem with choice, is it can make things more confusing, which is precisely the case with the new Mazda SUV range. In the past 18 months the brand has introduced the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 (dropping the aging CX-8 and CX-9 in the process), but this isn’t quite as straightforward as it seems.
You see, Australia is one of the very few markets in the world that takes all four models, because the quartet were actually designed as two pairs. The CX-60 and CX-80 are effectively the five- and seven-seat versions of the same model, which is the same for the slightly wider CX-70 and CX-90. The 60/80 are narrower and designed for the Japanese market primarily, while the bigger 70/90 duo were targeted at the US market.
But Mazda Australia is so successful that we managed to get all four in our market, leading to a not-insignificant amount of crossover between the quartet. And that’s only the beginning of the choice.
Looking specifically at the CX-80 that we’re reviewing here, there are no fewer than 13 variants to choose from, with three engine choices and up to five trim levels. Choice is great, overwhelming customers and the complexity behind-the-scenes at Mazda Australia HQ is probably not so great.
So, keeping this simple, let me tell you about the specific model I drove, the CX-80 G40e Touring AWD. The mid-spec Touring priced from $61,950 but the range stretches to a sky-high (for Mazda, at least) $92,444 for the hybrid-powered P50e Azami SP. It does so because with this new generation of SUVs Mazda is genuinely trying to either stop its customers ‘upgrading’ to a BMW, Mercedes-Benz or similar or lure buyers from those established premium brands with a more value-packed offer.
It certainly offers a lot for the money, with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, leather-trimmed seats, power tailgate, wireless charging, satellite navigation and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen that’s compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
We drove the G40e, which is powered by Mazda’s latest inline six-cylinder engine, which was developed specifically for this new wave of more premium models to meet the demands of premium buyers. The 3.3-litre turbocharged engine makes 209kW of power and 450Nm of torque.
That’s all the technical information, but does the CX-80 actually feel like a luxury alternative? Yes and no. Certainly at this more-affordable end of the range the CX-80 lacks the ‘wow factor’ you might expect. The exterior design is clean and elegant without any dramatic visual impact or kerb appeal, it’s simple rather than spectacular or stylish.
That theme carries over inside, where the design doesn’t feel dramatically different from the previous generation Mazda SUVs, like the existing CX-5. All the key elements are there – the large screen, lots of physical buttons, good storage and comfy seats – but, again, there’s no visual impact. The higher grade models offer colour leather, and that brings a more premium look and feel, but compared to modern luxury models from BMW, Audi or Volvo, the Mazda still feels more mainstream.
Space is good, with good room in the second row and the third row offering reasonable space for kids. Plus there’s a reasonably spacious boot too.
As for the way it drives, this is a somewhat controversial part of recent Mazda history. You see, when the CX-60 arrived as the first member of this new, more premium SUV range, it was heavily criticised for its poor ride and handling. Having driven it, I would say it felt rushed, like Mazda hadn’t finished the fine-tuning.
Fortunately, that’s not the case with the CX-80, with Mazda clearly learning its lesson and putting a fix in place. The ride is more comfortable and controlled, even if it’s still a touch on the firm side but that feels no different from a BMW or Mercedes-Benz.
The engine does a nice job, pulling easily and offering good performance for a family-friendly SUV. I’d be interested to compare the petrol engine to the plug-in hybrid Mazda is offering, as that could potentially offer better performance with fuel economy benefits.
Overall, Mazda has done a nice job with the CX-80 but without creating a direct rival to the true premium brands. Instead, and despite its higher asking price, it still feels like a ‘semi-premium’ that Mazda has built its reputation and sales on in recent years – and that’s no bad thing.
What it has done, is give buyers looking for a family-friendly, polished SUV more choice, which is always good for consumers.
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