why the Belgians become slightly happier than the Dutch

What stands out about the Mazda CX-80 (2024)?

There is a new trend in the car world: big seven-seaters with a plug. Kia already had the Sorento, Hyundai the Santa Fe and in the spring we drove the Peugeot 5008. Volkswagen will unveil its Tayron very soon, although it will not be launched until 2025. Mazda is also participating and has a new top model with the CX-80.

Technically the CX-80 is the same as the slightly smaller CX-60. Both models share the drivetrain (plug-in hybrid) and the chassis. To ensure that everyone remembers the name easily, the chassis was simply named Mazda Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture.

Recent history delivered Mazda some scratches in his impeccable image. The MX-30 with a Wankel engine turned out to be a strong and quite noisy drinker. It was also not love at first sight between the plug-in hybrid and Mazda. In the CX-60 (2022), the electric motor and combustion engine responded to each other like an exhausted couple after a forty-year marriage of convenience. It was trial and error, hiccups and jerks.

Furthermore, the tuning of the chassis was very sturdy. Mazda admits that the Mazda CX-60 was brought to market too hastily. Later versions of the plug-in hybrid have already been improved. But you don’t want to repeat a mistake like that. In the CX-80, with the same chassis and the same drivetrain, it has to be done right the first time. The chassis software was further examined and suspension and damping were adjusted to be more comfortable than on the CX-60.

Just the basics. The CX-80 is therefore a plug-in hybrid. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 191 hp works together with a 175 hp electric motor. In total they deliver no less than 327 hp and are good for a torque of 500 Nm. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard. You can travel 60 kilometers purely on the electric motor – nowadays you don’t really make an impression with that anymore.

What is good about the Mazda CX-80 (2024)?

Mazda calls its philosophy Jinba Ittai: rider and horse become one. Those Japanese tidbits of wisdom can usually scare us, but they still apply in the CX-80. You are really well integrated into the car, with a good position in relation to the steering wheel and pedals and a nice seating position thanks to the very comfortable seats.

When testing the back row of a seven-seater, it usually takes some time to get to grips with it. Usually it is not a party for tall teenagers and tall car journalists. But in the CX-80, the headroom in particular is excellent and the legroom is also not too bad if the people in the second row are a bit accommodating. Someone of 1.70 meters sits comfortably in the back and also has their own cup holders and climate control. Mazda also offers the option to replace the second row bench with two Capain’s chairs.

There is even more convenience: a luggage compartment of 687 liters (third row of seats folded), which can be expanded to 1971 liters. Furthermore, the CX-80 is caravan-proof and, just like the CX-60, it can tow a trailer of 2,500 kilos. Fiddling with maneuvering is no longer necessary thanks to Trailer Hitch View. This feature makes it easy to attach a trailer to the car, without the help of another person. Always useful if a CX 80 rider wants to register for next year We’re almost there.

What could be improved about the Mazda CX-80 PHEV?

Mazda is pleased with the seat assistant. Enter your height and the chair will automatically be placed in the ‘ideal’ seating position. But with our height of 1.90 meters, the seat is pushed so far back that we have to look on Mazda’s options list for extendable legs. In addition, the backrest moves back a bit, so that the steering wheel also gradually disappears from view. Ignoring is the motto and the chairs offer more than enough adjustment options to find your perfect seating position.

In itself it is commendable that Mazda does not fill its dashboards with enormous screens and soothing or exciting color strips that match your mood. There’s no need for all that distraction, says Mazda, and we nod in agreement. Operation via real buttons in the CX-80 is logical and fast. However, the screen is very small compared to the competition and the map display is a bit old-fashioned. The design of the dashboard is also starting to go a little out of fashion.

The plug-in hybrid drivetrain has been improved, the four-cylinder petrol engine with 191 hp and the 175 hp electric motor seem to have undergone relationship therapy. Yet you notice the scars of the past. The petrol engine still comes into play rather abruptly at times. And when the battery is empty and the electric motor is idle, the petrol engine has to work hard.

And while Mazda has the ultimate engine for the CX-80. That is a wonderful six-cylinder diesel engine (254 hp, mild hybrid). It is ignored in the Netherlands due to diesel-unfriendly taxes, but it is for sale in Belgium. That powerful diesel with its sublime pulling power (550 Nm from 1500 rpm) is ideal for mileage eaters and caravan tractors. He does not have to make an excessive effort to get the car, weighing almost 2,200 kilos, moving and nevertheless consumes only 5.7 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (1 in 17.5). Moreover, such a six-cylinder sounds as if it was made for eternity.

What is the price of the Mazda CX-80?

The Mazda CX-80 is 4,200 euros more expensive than the CX-60 and costs at least 62,390 euros. Then you get the Exclusive Line, with 20-inch wheels, LED interior lighting on all three rows of seats and a 12.3-inch central display. The second equipment level is called Homura. For 68,640 euros you get black nappa leather, dark headliner, black wheels (20 inches) and adaptive LED headlights. The honeycomb grille and exterior mirror caps are also in black and the bumpers have a more sporty design.

Mazda supplies the CX-80 Homura Plus for 72,690 euros. That plus consists of an electrically operated tailgate with hands-free function, rear privacy glass, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sliding/tilting roof and a Bose premium audio system with 12 speakers.

That leaves the Takumi (69,690 euros) and the Takumi Plus (73,740 euros), named after the Japanese craftsmen who worked on the CX-80. In the Takumi you will find an interior decorated with maple wood and you will not see black, but silver design accents on the outside. The 20-inch wheels are anthracite-colored. The Plus has the same extras as the Homura Plus compared to the Homura.

What do I think of the Mazda CX-80?

There is a lot that is good about the Mazda CX-80. The excellent seating position, plenty of space on three (!) rows of seats, every conceivable luxury standard or optional on board, logical operation and no excess of screens and unnecessary mood lighting. But the PHEV just lacks some refinement and the fact that the wonderfully economical and torquey inline six diesel engine passes us by makes the pain a little more intense. There is only one thing to do: emigrate to Belgium.