Last year, the Mazda CX-80 picked up an award for the country’s Best Large SUV, praised for its styling, dynamics, and efficiency.
The SUV arrives with either a 3.3-litre inline six mild-hybrid petrol or a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain. We had the 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid, the more practical and versatile option with up to 60km of EV range for everyday driving – before the petrol engine seamlessly takes over.
But before we get to that, it was the colour – that we incorrectly guessed to be gold – that first stopped us dead in our tracks: Melting Copper Metallic. It flirts with bling but (thankfully) never quite spills over into that, and paired with the black wheels, the contrast works beautifully (and everyone we asked agreed).
The CX-80 is a big SUV – one of the largest on our roads – and it sure does own it. Pulling out of the forecourt, we were immediately struck by the European feel – composed, refined, and premium. There are four drive modes: Normal, Sport, EV, and Off-road. EV mode does as you’d expect, offering only EV power for as long as you have range left in the battery. Normal isn’t that far different, keeping the drive in EV for as long as you have charge, starting the petrol engine only when the load increases, like climbing a hill, or when you ask for increased performance via the accelerator pedal. Sport offers a noticeably increased performance as the petrol engine kicks in more quickly and often to deliver a more responsive drive.
The CX-80 is a big SUV – one of the largest on our roads – and it sure does own it.
The interior strikes that sweet spot of restrained elegance. Despite plenty of black, the light headlining and full-length moonroof keep it feeling airy – the latter proving very popular with the two toddlers in the back. Soft-touch finishes, black leather and subtle silver detailing lift the space, and the overall quality feels genuinely premium.
The 12.3-inch infotainment screen is clear and intuitive, really very easy to use – though not needed to be used too much owing to equally handy commands on the steering wheel that soon become second nature. Second-row passengers get their own climate controls, vents, USB-C ports and heated outer seats, while the stretched wheelbase creates generous space, with the third row designed to be used on occasional but for passengers up to 1.7m tall.
The heads-up display is excellent – showing maps and directions as well as speed and limits, even upcoming ones – and the 12-speaker Bose system delivers a rich, confident sound, especially on longer drives – also popular with those toddlers!
The CX-80 offers the largest luggage capacity of any Mazda SUV, helped by clever underfloor storage. With all seven seats in place it provides 258 litres of boot space, expanding to a generous 566 litres in the five-seat configuration.
This is a ride designed for real life – beach days, double prams, sports bags and the general chaos that comes with family weekends (the automatic boot opening is already sorely missed). The ride is smooth and confident, and it carries a full load without ever feeling cumbersome. A genuinely family-ready SUV that refuses to sacrifice style or swagger.
