Mazda CX-60 price decreased again with new four-cylinder engine

New entry-level engine drives CX-60 into CX-5 territory, but cheaper four-pot powertrain means no AWD and no turbocharger

After initially passing on it at launch, Mazda Australia has added a price-leading naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine to the CX-60 SUV lineup – and it’s an engine you’ll already be familiar with from the CX-5 midsizer.

The new powertrain, dubbed G25, is the first rear-wheel drive proposition for the CX-60 range. This reduced complication compared to the existing trio of all-wheel drive engines has brought the CX-60’s cost of entry down to $47,990 driveaway.

That means the CX-60 now starts firmly in territory previously occupied only by the CX-5 in Mazda showrooms—however, for the same price as an entry-level CX-60 Pure G25 RWD, Aussie buyers can still pick up a better-equipped (but smaller) CX-5 G25 Touring AWD.

It’s quite a step down from where the CX-60 started out with a range of premium engines and pricing to rival entry-level Volvo XC60 and Lexus NX options—a strategy that initially saw local Mazda bosses opt-out of the entry-level engine.

However, recent repositioning of the CX-60 away from being an aspirational rival to the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 and into ‘big car for the money’ territory is understood to have created a role for the G25 engine, which is expected to account for a third of CX-60 sales in Australia.

The G25 powertrain is a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol producing 138kW and 250Nm. Those numbers are similar to what you’ll find in a CX-5 or Mazda 3, though in the CX-60, it uses an eight-speed multi-plate clutch automatic transmission.

Three trims are available—base model Pure, level-two Evolve and mid-tier Touring, with luxury GT and Azami specs reserved for the three other engines: a 3.3-litre turbo petrol inline ‘six (207kW/450Nm), 3.3-litre turbo diesel ‘six (187kW/550Nm), and a 2.5-litre PHEV (241kW/500Nm).

Despite a $6000 lower entry cost compared to the previous base engine (the G40e mild hybrid 3.3-litre petrol), equipment levels have been preserved with the smaller mill.

Standard on the cheapest CX-60 G25 Pure grade ($47,990 driveaway) are the following items:

18-inch alloy wheels finished in grey
Automatic LED headlights
Black cloth seat upholstery
Eight-way manually-adjustable driver’s seat
Leather steering wheel and gear shifter
10.25-inch infotainment screen
7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
Eight-speaker stereo
Satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors
Autonomous emergency braking (with junction function)
Blind spot monitoring and vehicle exit warning

Driveaway pricing is only offered on the Pure, while the G25 Evolve grade reverts to variable pricing at a rate of $49,240 plus on-road costs. For the Evolve, equipment swells to include:

12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
Wireless device charger
Black artificial leather upholstery
Power tailgate
Cruising and traffic support (strong adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist)
Front cross traffic alert
Driver monitoring system

Finally, the G25 Touring grade ($52,240 plus on-road costs) includes the following extras:

Black genuine leather upholstery
Heated and power-adjustable front seats
Memory for the mirrors and driver’s seat
Rear console with LED lamp

A nearly complete range of CX-60 engines continues to be available in Australia, with only a European-specification RWD diesel six-cylinder option not offered in this market.

Mazda’s five year/unlimited kilometre warranty applies to the CX-60.