Mazda CX-60 Diesel vs. Gas Engine Acceleration Test

author: FutureCar Staff    

American car enthusiasts are familiar with the CX-90, a three-row SUV that is based on a rear-biased platform. Overseas, there is a two-row sibling called the CX-60, which also offers the 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six engine available in the United States.

The CX-60 is also available with a 3.3-liter turbo diesel, which the CX-90 is unlikely to receive. It is interesting to note that Mazda invested a significant amount of money into developing a new diesel powerplant, despite the industry's shift towards electric propulsion. Paul Maric of CarExpert Australia had the opportunity to test both engines in the CX-60. Both versions are officially named Azami, which represents the range-topping specification. The Azami trim includes 20-inch alloy wheels with Toyo Proxes Sport tires.

The difference in weight between the two models is 41 kilograms (90 pounds). The diesel version weighs 1,990 kilograms (4,387 pounds), while the gasoline version weighs 1,949 kilograms (4,297 pounds). This weight difference is important when comparing the acceleration of the two vehicles.

Using the Dragy app, Paul recorded a 0-100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) time of 7.08 seconds for the gasoline model and 7.29 seconds for the diesel model. It's worth noting that Mazda has not yet released a performance-oriented variant of the CX-60. The gasoline version also has a faster acceleration from 80 to 120 kilometers per hour (50 to 75 miles per hour), with a time of 4.20 seconds compared to 4.64 seconds for the diesel.

In terms of braking performance, the diesel model takes 2.96 seconds to stop from 100 kilometers per hour, while the gasoline model takes 2.71 seconds. Both models feature mild-hybrid assistance, denoted by the "e" in their names.

In terms of interior noise, the CX-60s in the featured clip were similarly quiet. On a coarse road surface, the sound meter recorded 70.7 decibels in the gasoline model and 70.6 decibels in the diesel model at 100 kilometers per hour. On a smooth road surface, the gasoline model was slightly quieter at 62.4 decibels compared to 63.3 decibels for the diesel.

Unfortunately, the CX-60 will not be available in the United States. However, the American market will be getting the CX-70, which is the American cousin of the CX-60. The CX-70 will join the CX-90 and upcoming CX-80 as a narrow-body SUV, while the CX-90 is a wide-body SUV. The difference in overall width between the narrow and wide-body models is 1,994 millimeters (78.5 inches) for the CX-90 and 1,890 millimeters (74.4 inches) for the CX-60.

FutureCar Staff