Written by Ted Welford Published: 16 October 2024

Overview

Mazda already has a wide line-up of cars in the UK, but until now it’s been lacking a seven-seat SUV. That changes with the introduction of the CX-80, the largest car it’s ever sold in Europe, and the first seven-seater it’s sold in a decade – the last being the Mazda5 MPV. 

The CX-80 might look familiar because it’s based on the CX-60 – introduced in 2022 to take the company more upmarket. Both use Mazda’s ‘large car’ platform that underpins even bigger SUVs sold elsewhere in the world. Essentially the front half of the CX-80 is shared with its smaller sibling, but this new car boasts a stretched wheelbase that makes it around 25cm longer than a CX-60. 

At just shy of five metres, this new Mazda is a big SUV and larger than many of its rivals – the Skoda Kodiaq, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento are slightly smaller in terms of outright dimensions. It’s even longer than a Land Rover Discovery. A large part of its length is, however, taken up by a huge bonnet, which is needed to accommodate its quite significantly-sized engines. The first is a 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid and the second a 3.3-litre straight-six diesel engine. The latter is quite a rarity these days when many of its rivals are now only available as some sort of hybrid. 

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Available in a wide range of trim levels, and prices starting from £49,000, it’s around £3,500 more expensive than a CX-60, and puts it in the middle ground between cheaper seven-seaters, such as a Skoda Kodiaq, and far more expensive premium rivals like the Audi Q7, which starts from around £20,000 more. 

We’ve never been hugely impressed by the CX-60, owing to its unsettled ride and unrefined hybrid setup, so have been keen to see if the new CX-80 can improve on things. Read more about how we test cars at Parkers. 

So does the Mazda CX-80 do enough to stand out in the popular seven-seat SUV class, and should you consider buying one? Read on to find out. 

What’s it like inside?

If you aren’t a fan of your car’s interior being laden with big touchscreens and having next to no physical buttons, you’ll probably like the Mazda CX-80. Mazda isn’t afraid of doing things differently, and this SUV bucks the trend by having a big infotainment screen controlled by a useful rotary dial – not too dissimilar from BMW’s iDrive controller. The screen is also brilliantly integrated into the dashboard, rather than looking like an afterthought as it does on many new cars.

Using a physical controller makes the screen much easier to operate on the move and less distracting too, while we like having the CX-80’s physical buttons to change the climate settings, rather than being reliant on a touchscreen. It’s a particularly well-laid-out interior with excellent ergonomics, the only exception being the slightly awkward gear selector. 

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All models also come with electric leather seats as standard, helping to give the CX-80 a more upmarket feel, as many rivals only come with these features in higher-specs. Quite plain black leather upholstery is on the standard trim, with the mid-spec Homura getting upgraded Nappa leather with copper accents. The range-topping Takumi features white leather seats and white maple trim. We’re not a fan of having such a light-coloured interior in a family car and can’t see it ageing all that well. You can’t knock the CX-80 for its interior quality, with all elements having a solid and well-finished feel, with plenty of soft-touch materials used throughout. Some might reckon it’s a bit traditional, but in this instance, we think it’s for the best. 

How spacious is it?

If you’re looking for a seven-seat SUV, spaciousness is a top priority, and the CX-80 doesn’t disappoint. Mazda has put the large dimensions to good use, with a flexible and practical interior. The smaller CX-60 always felt a bit of a pointless product in the UK, as despite being much larger and more expensive than a Mazda CX-5, it didn’t really offer that much more space inside. 

Unlike rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq, the CX-80 comes with seven seats as standard – and on the plug-in hybrid too – though higher-spec Homura and Takumi are available in a six-seat configuration that see the second-row bench of seats replaced by two individual captain’s chair. While it undoubtedly makes the cabin feel more luxurious with six seats, we think having the full seven seats is more of an advantage. 

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Access to the third row is surprisingly easy, too, with the middle row seats sliding a long way forward. While it’s not a car we’d choose to use for transporting seven adults, it’s suitable for such use for short distances, as one of our testers at just shy of six feet tall could sit in the third row without too much of a squash, but they’re best used for children. There are USB-C sockets in the third row too, along with plenty of storage, Middle-seat space is also plentiful, though the panoramic sunroof’s sunblind does eat into available headroom if you have it closed. 

While the boot is large, it’s not as roomy as some rivals, with quite a high boot floor meaning it’s not as wide or deep as that of a Skoda Kodiaq. With all row of seats in position, it offers 258 litres, followed by 687 litres with five seats in position and 1,971 litres if you want a van-like cargo area with only the front two seats still upright. While an electric boot is standard, it doesn’t open up very far, which means taller adults might find themselves accidentally hitting their heads on the boot. 

Engines

Powertrain on the Mazda CX-80 includes a diesel and a plug-in hybrid – the latter being detailed in the below section. Each is powered by an eight-speed automatic gearbox and comes with all-wheel-drive as standard. 

The diesel is a 3.3-litre straight-six engine first used in the CX-60, and while most manufacturers have downsized their engines in recent years, Mazda says this larger capacity diesel enables it to run at a higher thermal efficiency, meaning it uses less fuel. 

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The engine develops 254hp and 550Nm of torque (pulling power), with an integrated mild-hybrid system that allows the engine to turn off when it’s coasting to maximise fuel economy. Mazda claims just shy of 50mpg and 150g/km CO2 emissions. In terms of performance, it can accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and hit a 136mph top speed. 

Plug-in hybrid

Most CX-80s bought in the UK will be the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), not least because of the tax savings for company car drivers and because it costs less to buy outright than the diesel. 

It pairs a 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined 327hp and 500Nm of torque, with a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds possible. It also packs a 17.8kWh battery, which Mazda says allows for a 36-mile electric range. Our test car was only half charged when we got into it, so we’ll have to wait to get it to test in the UK before we can test this fully.

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While the electric range is similar to that of a Kia Sorento and new Hyundai Santa Fe, it lags behind the impressive new Skoda Kodiaq plug-in hybrid, which averaged 63 electric miles on a charge during our testing from one charge – a remarkable figure for a large hybrid SUV, though a Kodiaq PHEV is only available with five seats and not seven like the petrol and diesel versions.

Unless you can complete most of your miles on the CX-80’s electric range, we think the diesel model could prove to be the more efficient buy overall. 

What’s it like to drive?

There’s a big difference in the way the CX-80 drives depending on which engine you go for. The diesel is by far the most pleasant, with lots of low-down torque enabling a smooth getaway, and though it’s a bit more coarse-sounding than a six-cylinder engine in a BMW, for example, it suits this Mazda well, and is particularly refined and settled at speed. In comparison, the plug-in hybrid is not the best. Throttle response is quite slow unless you have the CX-80 in its ‘sport’ mode (when it will consume more fuel), and it’s generally quite unrefined with some unusual noises made on occasion. It was exactly the same in the last CX-60 we tried, and it doesn’t appear that Mazda has fixed it. 

Elsewhere, though, the CX-80 drives well. The ride quality is improved over the unsettled CX-60, owing to its longer wheelbase that’s better at absorbing bumps and the retuned suspension setup specifically for this seven-seater. While we need to try it back in the UK, comfort certainly looks to have improved, though it still lacks the supple and cushioning ride that you find in the latest Skoda Kodiaq.

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That said, the steering of the CX-80 has a surprising amount of weight to it for an SUV, allowing a bit more enjoyment than you would usually get from a seven-seat SUV. If you push it hard, there’s a fair amount of body roll, but this isn’t a class of car designed to be hurried along, and a firmer ride would not suit a big family SUV. For a car of these dimensions (it’s only 5cm shorter than a full-size Range Rover), it’s quite easy to place and park, with a good turning circle and excellent visibility meaning it’s not as hard to manoeuvre as you might expect. 

What models and trims are available?

The CX-80 is available with a wide range of trim levels, with prices starting from £48,920 for the plug-in hybrid and £51,455 for the diesel. A CX-80 also costs around £3,500 more than the smaller CX-60 in the same trim level. 

Standard equipment is very generous, with the entry-level Exclusive Line model still equipped with black and heated leather seats, an electric boot, keyless entry, a head-up display and a range of driver assistance technology such as blind spot monitoring and vehicle exit monitor that aims to stop you opening the door into passing traffic. This entry trim is expected to be the most popular, and we can’t say we’re surprised considering how many features you get included. 

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The Homura grade adds 20-inch black alloy wheels and painted wheelarch trims, along with electric front seats and a Bose sound system. Homura Plus then brings a 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof and adaptive LED headlights. 

The Takumi heads up the range, with more high-end features such as its machined 20-inch alloy wheels, white Nappa leather seats and white wood trim. The Takumi Plus grade then adds all of the extra features of the Homura Plus model. 

What else should I know?

The CX-80 is the largest car Mazda has ever sold in Europe and therefore is the most expensive. Mazda is predicting quite modest sales figures as a result, though there is potential for it to sell much better.

We wouldn’t normally talk about paint colours in a Parkers review, but we admire Mazda for offering a range of cool shades on the CX-80, which is quite rare for a car in this class. Mazda’s stunning Soul Red Crystal is available, as are two new colours, Melting Copper (similar to rose gold) and Artisan Red (pictured).