Mazda has made it known that it is determined to keep the internal combustion engine around for as long as it can. Together with Subaru and Toyota, the three automakers reckon there’s still life in those engines.
That said, it doesn’t mean it’s completely abandoning electrification. If anything, Mazda (along with its partners) are making good use of batteries and motors to extend the life of internal combustion engines.
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With that, there is an interesting development happening over with the folks from Hiroshima. Recently, the company filed a trademark with the name CX-6e. If anything, that hints at either an electric or range extender EV version of its CX-60 crossover.
We say either because the trademark doesn’t say what kind of vehicle it will be. The ‘e’ does suggest some level electrification of some sort, but it’s hard to pin down specifically. As mentioned, it can be a full electric vehicle, but Mazda could also adapt its rotary-powered range extender system to this crossover, the same tech applied to the MX-30 R-EV.
Mind you, just because it has been trademarked, it doesn’t mean Mazda will use the name in the immediate future or even use it at all. That name could sit dormant for years, but the company could pull off a surprise in the near future.
Either way, it appears Mazda has intentions to further expand the CX-60 lineup. As it is, there are four powertrain options available for it. There’s the 2.5-liter four-cylinder for select markets, as well as a 3.3-liter inline-six turbo petrol in standard or mild-hybrid guises. There’s also a 3.3-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel (also in standard or mild-hybrid forms), and a 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid.
