This article in short:

• Mazda developed the CX-80 as a luxury seven-seat SUV, with an enhanced focus on driving comfort.
• The car is 25 centimeters longer than the CX-60 and offers more interior space.
• The interior is of high quality and offers new technologies such as Chat GPT and an Alexa voice assistant.
• The CX-80 combines a balanced driving experience with comfort and agility.

Mazda has been scratching its head. The current generation CX-60 is simply not good enough. Despite the plug-in hybrid drivetrain: the development of the two-ton car focused too much on dynamic driving characteristics. The result was a restless car on all fronts that drastically reduced its appeal.

25 centimeters longer

The Mazda CX-80 is an SUV that is just under five meters long. A car in the class of the Kia EV9 and the Volvo XC90. With a width of 1.89 meters, it is just as wide as the ’60’, but due to the longer and higher roofline, it is about two and a half centimeters higher at 1.75 meters. The wheelbase is special. The CX-80 is 25 centimeters longer than the ’60’ and that quarter meter is found completely between the front and rear axles. With a total of 3.12 meters, the car outclasses both the Korean and the Swede and all this promises a lot for the interior space.

Artisan Red

The entry is at hip height, and the completely different feeling is striking. I seem to sit a little higher, which puts the sportier character of the ’60’ on a lower burner. Apart from a few details, the interior is identical. We see the same high level of finishing quality combined with excellent build quality and attention to detail.

The test car was a Takumi Plus version with an ivory-white leather interior. The combination of the test car’s Artisan Red jacket and the so-called Melting Copper creates a chic yet striking color palette.

Alexa and ChatGPT 

What stands out is a renewed infotainment and navigation system with ChatGPT and an Alexa voice assistant. The new look-through function for the 360-degree camera is also useful, as is the special towbar mode.

It is a pity that Mazda still sticks to the controller on the center tunnel. A larger touchscreen works more clearly. Another detail is the climate control function for the rear passengers that you can switch on or off in the front.

Clean 7-seater

The second row of seats is a strong point. The entry is generous and the space and seating comfort are also fine. The only blemish is the large cardan tunnel. The rear seat can be slid lengthwise and that is necessary if extra people sit in the third row of seats. If you fold the backrest forward in one movement, the seat also unlocks.

Mazda communicates a comfortable seat for people up to 1.70 meters, but I, with my 1.84 meters, can sit perfectly. Compared to the Volvo EX90 I have more leg and headroom. If seven seats are just a bit too much, then there is also a six-seater available.

High power and towing capacity

In terms of drive technology, the CX-80 is based on the same basis as the ’60’. This means a 175 hp electric motor that works together with a 2.5 four-cylinder Skyactiv petrol engine via an 8-speed automatic transmission. The combined output is 327 hp and partly because of this, it can tow no less than 2500 kilograms.

Thanks to a 17.8kWh battery, you can drive up to 63 kilometers fully electrically. A 60-liter petrol tank then takes over. Then count on around 700 kilometers combined driving range.

Performance-wise, the ’80’ feels powerful and several software tweaks make the drivetrain a bit more enjoyable than the ’60’. Still, it’s quite restless. Certainly compared to the fully electric competition or a plug-in hybrid Santa Fe. That feels a bit more refined.

Fine driving dynamics

In terms of ride comfort, the CX-80 proves to be a true Mazda, and no, not like the ’60’. The ’80’ feels balanced, comfortable, and calm, but with an ‘involved edge’. It doesn’t have to, but the four-wheel drive CX-80 is surprisingly agile thanks to its rear-wheel drive basis and the steering system also feels pleasant.