Test Drive of the Improved CX-60 'Burgundy': Impressed by the Joy of FR, Yet Still Concerned About Some Things

🟦 'So, what's the deal with the CX-60?'

At the time of its launch, there were complaints about the ride comfort of the CX-60.
Since then, product improvements have been made, and in 2026, a
new grade, the 'XD-HYBRID Drive Edition Burgundy Leather Package,'
was added, featuring a Burgundy interior. It is a rather special model dressed in deep red (Burgundy) genuine leather upholstery.
Actually, the Burgundy interior color itself had been available for the Mazda3 for some time as the 'Burgundy Selection.'
This marks its expansion into the CX-60, which is a more upscale model,
in terms of positioning.

So, how was the actual improved model? I had the opportunity to test drive this car.
I had never driven the initial launch model, so my test drive was based on the premise
that it had undergone significant improvements since then.
When I actually drove it, I was impressed by the handling, which felt truly FR.
On the other hand, what I didn't expect was the 'sluggish feeling at takeoff' and the fatigue I felt after driving.
I will write down what I felt after driving it.

🟦 Quietness and ride comfort are good

The first thing I noticed as soon as I started driving was how quiet the interior was. The cabin is so calm that you wouldn't think it was equipped with a large-displacement 3.3L inline-six diesel engine. There was also a sense of stability that firmly supported the large body.

One thing that concerned me was the stiffness of the ride. I'm not sure if it's because the seats are firm, or if the shock absorbers and spring rate settings are on the stiffer side. However, the ride definitely felt firm to me. I'll need to drive it a bit more to see how it feels over long distances.

🟦 Interior quality and BOSE sound are exceptional

When you approach the car, the 'INLINE 6' engraving integrated into the fender air vent catches your eye first. It is positioned to blend into the honeycomb mesh design, making it feel more like a part of the molding than just a badge. The way it subtly asserts the 3.3L inline-six engine configuration—a rare engine layout these days—on the exterior was a cool, understated touch.

The Burgundy genuine leather interior has a higher quality feel than it looks in photos. The contrast with the matte black hairline finish is also elegant, making you feel like you are 'driving something good.' As expected of Mazda's top-tier model class, the sense of luxury is a step above my own KF model. It was a finish that I was genuinely drawn to.

The BOSE sound system was also impressive. Even though it's the same BOSE, the way it sounds is completely different from the one in my CX-5 (KF model). The sound in the CX-60 is clear and has distinct contours. I was surprised that even with the same brand, it could change so much depending on the vehicle class and tuning.

🟦 Safety controls and head-up display are also better than the KF

The safety driving support controls also gave the impression of having clearly evolved
compared to the KF model. The head-up display (Active Driving
Display) also had a clear and easy-to-read display, and I felt it had
more information than the KF. My impression was that it was at about the
same level as the new (KM model) CX-5 I test drove previously.

In fact, when comparing the owner's manuals of both cars, the display area configuration (FCTA alert
guidance, BSM alert, i-ACTIVSENSE information, vehicle speed and set vehicle speed,
and navigation information) matched perfectly by number.
It is safe to assume that the basic system is common.

🟦 The undercarriage and engine room construction are also completely different from the KF

When looking closely at the car body, just looking at the undercarriage and engine room
gave me the impression that it is a car one step above the KF.

When looking at the suspension, I noticed aluminum parts that I didn't see on the KF.
Upon checking, I found that the CX-60 uses aluminum alloy for the rear suspension
upper links and knuckles.
This was also confirmed in official technical information.

There are a few other things I noticed.
The engine also appeared to have a structure that was further enclosed within the engine room to prevent sound from escaping, and the
joints between the suspension and the chassis also looked more robust,
designed to withstand higher loads than the KF. The mounting brackets inside the engine room also
had ribs (concave and convex shapes for reinforcement), which I felt was a
design that structurally prioritized strength.
Later, I compared photos of the strut mounting points of my own KF model and the new (KM model) CX-5 I test drove previously,

and both were simple painted steel plates bolted on, with no additional brackets or rib shapes like the CX-60.
I get the impression that only the CX-60 has a more solid construction in this area.
Including this point, I couldn't find confirmation in official documents or third-party articles,
so I am leaving this here as a personal observation from looking at the actual vehicle.
However, I felt that such diligent craftsmanship is likely behind the quietness and good handling.

🟦 Handling that reaffirms the FR nature

The CX-60 adopts a new FR-based platform as the first model in Mazda's 'Large Product Group'. While Mazda cars have traditionally been primarily FF (front-wheel drive) based, when you drive the CX-60, its FR characteristics come through clearly.
The sharpness in curves is excellent, and the car's response when turning the steering wheel is natural. The sensation of the steering wheel returning naturally after exiting a curve was also a point where I felt its FR nature.

Even at high speeds, the straight-line stability is different from the KF. It has a solid, composed feel, and the steering wheel does not shake. Despite having such a large body, the minimum turning radius is 5.4m. Looking only at the numbers, it is surprisingly maneuverable, and since visibility is good, it felt easier to handle than I had expected.

That said, the size of the vehicle itself is by no means small. There are many narrow roads in Japan, and parking lots are not always spacious, so you do have to be careful in those situations. Thanks to its maneuverability and good visibility, I had the feeling that 'I can manage,' but I cannot go so far as to say it 'doesn't bother me.'

And there was one more moment that made me nervous. The moment I tried to slowly enter a gravel parking lot from a gravel slope, the rear wheels slipped. When I checked the model code (3CA-KH3R3P) on the vehicle inspection certificate later, this model code means 'rear-wheel drive based i-ACTIV AWD,' so it was definitely AWD (4WD). The fact that it still slipped might have been due to the road conditions of the gravel or the influence of the drive control. As someone who has only been driving FF-based cars recently, I had let my guard down.

🟦 The torque is certainly strong. But the start is 'sluggish'

This was the point that left the biggest impression on me this time.

On uphill sections of highways, I could fully feel the strength of this diesel's torque. When you press the accelerator, it accelerates powerfully without being bothered by its heavy body. It was an undeniably pleasant acceleration.

On the other hand, the start when moving slowly in places like parking lots is 'sluggish.' I don't know the reason, but it doesn't start moving as quickly as I thought just by pressing the accelerator lightly. Since I had heard in advance that the 'torque is large,' this initial gentleness at the start was a bit surprising.
With the CX-5's gasoline or diesel engines, there was a sense of it naturally moving forward just by pressing a little lighter, so I felt that difference even more clearly.

However, this is resolved if you press the accelerator firmly. From the moment you press it, the torque builds up properly, and it switches to pleasant acceleration.
It gives the impression of an engine with a slightly two-stage personality: 'gentle when pressed lightly, but shows its true potential when pressed firmly.'

What's interesting is that I only felt this 'sluggishness' at the beginning. After driving for a while, I stopped noticing it. Perhaps I was unconsciously adjusting my accelerator operation to this car. There was a sense of discomfort compared to the KF, but as I got used to it, I was able to drive naturally.

🟦 Surprised by the fuel economy as well

Another thing that surprised me was the fuel economy. On this route, only a portion was highway, and the rest was mainly high-standard roads and country roads. Even so, the fuel economy display reached around 22km/L. Since the WLTC mode fuel economy in the catalog is 21.1km/L, this means that the actual driving figure exceeded that.

Moreover, this route included highway sections with continuous uphill slopes.
Achieving this figure while handling that much climbing is a level of fuel efficiency that is hard to imagine from this giant body.
I realized that the combination of the 3.3L large-displacement diesel and the mild hybrid is working properly in places like this.

🟦 The Sport mode presentation is also fun

When you switch Mi-DRIVE to Sport mode, the ring lighting in the meter changes to red.
Looking back at the photos I actually took, the tachometer and the fuel/water temperature gauge, the rings on both sides, were glowing red, and the word 'SPORT' in red letters was also floating on the central speedometer.
When I checked the instruction manual, this change to red is not present in other modes such as TOWING, NORMAL, EV, or OFF-ROAD, and it seems to be a presentation unique to SPORT mode. It's simply cool. It was a subtly happy point that it lifts the mood not only with the quality of the ride but also with this kind of presentation.

🟦 Driving is fun. But you get exhausted afterward

The combination of handling and power was at a level that could be called 'the best.'
It's fun the whole time you're driving. There is no doubt about this.

However, what I want to write here is that the fatigue after finishing the drive was quite significant.
Whether it was because it was a borrowed car, because the body is large, or because the stiffness of the ride comfort is having an effect, the cause is not clear.
But as a physical sensation, the fatigue from driving the CX-60 for 2 hours was about the same as the fatigue from driving my own KF-type CX-5 (gasoline) for 4 hours. By simple calculation, it felt like the pace of fatigue was nearly double.

🟦 Summary

The CX-60 Burgundy was a car packed with satisfaction as a high-end SUV, including quietness, interior texture, and handling.
The strength of the torque is also real, but in the very low-speed range in the city, there is a bit of a trick to how you press the accelerator. I think that if you know that much before riding, you can avoid being confused.
Even so, the fuel economy is excellent enough to exceed the catalog value, and I thought it was amazing to achieve this figure with this physique.

The joy of FR was beyond my expectations. However, the fatigue after driving was a point that bothered me until the end. The sluggishness when starting in city traffic was something I got used to, though.

It's great while you're driving. But after you get out, you feel completely exhausted.
It was such a mysterious car. Even so, the FR-like driving performance and high quality are charms that
you can only understand by actually driving it. The Burgundy interior also has
a high-quality feel, and the finish makes you feel the value of choosing this grade. If you are interested, I would like you to take a test drive and confirm it with your own senses.

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