Recently, Mazda showed a teaser of what is essentially a stretched CX-60. Dubbed the Mazda CX-80, it is said that it will have an extra row of seats and a few unique styling details.
Now, the time has come for the reveal. Aimed at the Japanese and European markets, the CX-80 is likely to serve as the flagship crossover in countries that might see the CX-90 as a little too large.
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It’s Europe that gets first dibs on this stretched CX-60. At first glance, the Mazda CX-80 looks like a dead ringer for its shorter sibling, but there are several key differences. You won’t find them at the front, though, as it looks identical to the model it’s based on.
Turn it to its side, however, and the differences are much more obvious. One will notice the much longer rear doors fitted to the crossover. Think of it as a similar treatment to the CX-5 when it was turned into the CX-8. Its wheelbase has been stretched by 250mm, jumping from 2,870mm to 3,120mm. As for other dimensions, it measures 4,995mm long (+250mm), 1,890mm wide (same as CX-60), and 1,710mm tall (+25mm).
There are other subtle changes, too. One will notice the rear window that droops downwards instead of kicking up. There’s also a more formal roofline as an effect of the wheelbase stretch. Lastly, the rear tailgate appears to be more upright than the CX-60.
In the CX-80, one will find the same dashboard arrangement as the CX-60. However, it’s only the CX-80 that comes with two different seating configurations. The first is a seven-seater model with a 60:40 split bench in the second row. The other is a more luxurious six-seater version that ditches the bench for a pair of captain’s chairs.
For the European market at least, there are two powertrain options. The first is the 3.3-liter, inline-six turbodiesel mill that makes 251hp and 550Nm of torque. The other is the plug-in hybrid that pairs a 2.5-liter engine to an electric system, giving it a total system output of 323hp and 500Nm of torque. For other markets, the gas-fed 3.3-liter straight six is to be expected.
It’s unknown if the Mazda CX-80 will be offered for the Philippine market. However, should it make its debut in the region, there might be a good chance of a local launch.
