Mazda CX-60 3.3 e-SkyActiv D 2023 first drive

“Because it can operate at better than 40% thermal efficiency for so much of the time, our research confirms that the 3.3-litre six-cylinder diesel engine is right-sized for the CX-60,” Strietzel says. The car’s WLTP fuel economy and carbon emissions lab test results would tend to confirm that when compared with those of the car’s four-cylinder diesel mid-sized SUV rivals. Neat trick, eh? For their next one, let’s hope for an atmo 7.3-litre petrol V12 that’ll do 150mpg.

The diesel will be available in two states of tune: this rear-driven 197bhp version and a 251bhp variant that comes exclusively with four-wheel drive. Both use a new eight-speed automatic transmission designed and developed in-house by Mazda, which has a pair of wet clutches instead of a torque converter, and a 48V mild-hybrid system that can contribute up to 113lb ft into the driveline but tends only to boost the engine’s performance rather than driving the wheels all on its own.

There’s a distantly coarse chug about the engine’s audible character at idle. It puts you in mind just a little of the Pride of Cherbourg leaving its harbourside berth. But at cruising revs, the CX-60 settles into smoother stride. Mazda accepts that its lean-fuelling calibration (which the motor adopts at crank speeds up to about 2200rpm, and at up to about 250lb ft of load) does make the combustion sound a little more clattery than modern diesels typically are. It opted for that ‘perfect balance’ straight six-cylinder configuration, at least in part, to mitigate the fallout.

The desired effect is mostly achieved. The engine revs quite freely up beyond 4000rpm, with generous and wide-spread torque. It is quiet enough under light loads too, and - while there’s a bit too much digital engine noise synthesis in the car, especially at full power - it’s still fairly rich and enticing to extend, and potent-feeling under your foot. The gearbox shifts smoothly and with intelligent timing, seemingly knowing when to hold a higher gear and when to drop it. It has a paddle-shift manual mode, whose shifts could be a little bit quicker, but they're certainly fast enough not to offend.

It’s a shame that so much else about the Mazda CX-60 isn’t quite up to a commensurate level of richness or sophistication. The car’s cabin has a good driving position, offers adult-appropriate passenger space, and is appointed in a mix of quite appealing textiles and leathers - but also of cheaper-looking switches and mouldings in plenty of places. The haptic feel of key touch points - from exterior door handles to gear selector - is surprisingly plasticky and lightweight, and its doors close with a tinny clang. Cabin isolation on the move, from both wind and road noise, is also a little disappointing. And while the car handles and steers well for something of its type, it can ride in slightly sproingy, jittery, occasionally noisy fashion.

In so many ways, Mazda still clearly has a bit to learn about making really convincing, premium-level passenger cars. But in one respect in particular - a 3.3-litre six-pot diesel engine that feels ideal for towing and long-distance driving, and can return 50mpg easily and 65mpg if you try a bit - it’s now got a selling point that plenty of us, especially those of us who don't pay benefit-in-kind tax, and who aren't in a position to regularly charge an electrified alternative, could surely find a use for.