Mazda CX-80 review

What was Mazda thinking? At a time when manufacturers are falling over themselves to launch electric seven-seaters, the Japanese brand decided that its three-row SUV flagship – this Mazda CX-80 – should have a great big six-cylinder diesel engine.

Still, as we’ve seen, Mazda has a long history of flying in the face of convention, and anyway there’s a plug-in hybrid CX-80 to give you the option of some electric-only driving. The diesel, too, is slightly electrified (with mild-hybrid tech) but can’t officially go any distance on electric power alone.

The CX-80 is Mazda’s biggest, poshest model – it’s about the same length as a Land Rover Discovery but a lot cheaper. Seven-seat rivals at a similar price include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Mercedes GLB. The Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq can carry seven people and cost less, but they're less spacious.

So is the Mazda CX-80 worthy of a place among the best seven-seat SUVs or are you better off looking elsewhere? Read on to find out...

It’s no coincidence that the CX-80 resembles the smaller, five-seat Mazda CX-60 – which is itself no minnow. The two cars are closely related, with the same diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power options. Four-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Who in their right mind chooses a big diesel engine for their seven-seat SUV these days? Well, Mazda reckons it still has a role to play in the CX-80.

It’s certainly lusty enough. With 251bhp, this 3.3-litre six-cylinder engine pulls hard even when towing heavy trailers. Officially, 0-62mph takes 8.4 seconds, which is rapid enough to feel like you’re making good progress, plus it’s over one second faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, two- or four-wheel drive.

The CX-80 PHEV is considerably quicker. Made up of a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine working with an electric motor and a 17.8kWh battery, it offers 323bhp in total, of which 173bhp comes from the electric motor and is on tap from the second you put your foot down from a standstill. The result is a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds – and it certainly feels swift on the road.

Having only four cylinders to the diesel’s six and delivering its peak power at higher revs causes the PHEV to sound rather more uncouth when you put your foot down, though. The diesel’s muted (and rather pleasant) growl seems more in keeping with the CX-80’s upmarket demeanour. In fact, we'd go so far as to say that it's smoother than an Audi Q7 or Mercedes GLS – which is impressive, given that those seven-seat SUV rivals are vastly more expensive.

The diesel is also more responsive than the PHEV. You see, while the transition between electric and petrol power is fairly seamless when you’re driving gently, there’s a pause when you ask for a sudden burst of speed, such as when overtaking. By contrast, the diesel is happy to quickly drop down a gear and accelerate.

No matter which you go for, the CX-80 is better on straight roads than wiggly ones. Body lean is modest in corners and grip levels are more than adequate, but the steering is very slow and it doesn’t send much information from the front tyres. Still, the CX-80 is tidier as a whole than a Volvo XC90.

It doesn’t, however, ride quite as well as most rivals. Indeed, while it calms down at speed, the CX-80’s firm suspension and huge 20in wheels make you feel imperfections and potholes as you drive over them. The entry-level Exclusive-Line version, with its smaller 18in wheels, should help to minimise that. 

The big 20in wheels don’t help much when it comes to noise either – they cause plenty of tyre noise at motorway speeds. Everything else is pretty well subdued though, with wind noise that’s very faint at all speeds.

Both engines support a maximum towing capacity of 2500kg. That makes the CX-80 PHEV a more impressive tow car than the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento PHEVs, which are limited to 1110kg and 1010kg respectively.

“I think the rorty six-cylinder diesel engine makes the CX-80 feel like a much more expensive and sophisticated car than when it’s fitted with the plug-in hybrid.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

At first acquaintance, the Mazda CX-80's interior seems a bit like going back in time to an era before technology ran riot. After a moment, though, you realise there’s actually lots of it on offer.

It starts with a crisp, clear 12.3in digital driver’s display, which is laid out slightly differently depending on the driving mode you have selected. Above that is a standard-fit head-up display, which projects vehicle speed, cruise control settings, navigation directions and other info straight on to the windscreen.

Getting comfy behind the wheel is made easier with the Homura trim level and above because it adds electric adjustment for the front seats, as well as lumbar support (worth having for greater comfort on long journeys). Exclusive-line trim goes without it, but the front seats otherwise adjust manually in the same way. 

The CX-80 provides the raised driving position many enjoy in an SUV, although it's not as elevated as in a Land Rover Discovery. What’s more, while that height affords you a good view of the road directly ahead, the windscreen pillars are slightly obstructive, and you may have to look around them at T-junctions. The door mirrors, though, provide a good field of view.

Every CX-80 gives you LED headlights with automatic high beam, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera. Homura Plus and Takumi Plus bring an upgrade to adaptive LEDs and a 360-degree camera. The camera is very impressive, with almost seamless coverage around the car.

Infotainment is on a 12.3in central screen, which is navigated by a handy rotary controller between the front seats. That's a very welcome feature, and makes it much less distracting to select functions than prodding a touchscreen.

In the same vein, the screen does work as a touchscreen, but not if the CX-80 is moving. While the screen isn’t as big as those of some seven-seaters, it does offer good screen resolution and crisp graphics, and the menus are tidily laid out.

Hurrah, too, for the existence of a panel of real, physical buttons to control the air conditioning and heated seats with a single stab, rather than having to bring up a menu in a touchscreen, as you must in many new cars these days.

DAB radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, Google Maps and Google Play Music apps are all standard, as is Google Assistant voice control and Amazon Alexa. A Bose sound system with 12 speakers is standard on Homura trim and above. Homura Plus and Takumi Plus add a wireless phone-charging pad.

In true Mazda fashion, the interior has heaps of showroom appeal, with smart decorative surfaces that generally feel of a high quality (the pale wood and lace-effect trim of Takumi spec has particular visual appeal). There are some harder, less impressive materials dotted around, but they’re generally low down and hidden.

“The CX-80's interior looks plush and feels that way in prominent places but, for me, the surfaces lower down don’t live up to the positive first impression.” – Chris Haining, Sub-editor

You’d need to be very generously proportioned to find the front seats of the Mazda CX-80 cramped. There’s loads of leg room, reasonable head room and a good distance between the driver and front-seat passenger.

Some rivals offer more interior storage options (there are more cubby holes in the Hyundai Santa Fe for example), but the CX-80 has a pair of big cup holders, door bins that can hold 500ml water bottles with room to spare, and a sizeable glove box.

The second row of seats is made up of a three-seat bench with a folding centre armrest incorporating a pair of cup holders. There’s a pair of USB-C charging ports to keep devices topped up on the move.

Homura and Homura Plus trims offer the option of swapping the three-seat middle row for a pair of larger individual "captain’s chairs" that are adjustable and heated, with a gap between them to allow access to the third row. On Takumi Plus trim, the two captain's chairs are heated and ventilated, and they get a centre console instead of a walkthrough, with additional storage and cupholders.

Whether you have your CX-80 as a six or seven-seater, the second-row seats can be slid forwards and backwards or reclined (independently on the six-seater). Head room in the back is more generous than leg room, and tall adults will want their seats most or all the way back.

Anyone sitting in the third row of seats will prefer it if the seats in front were slid forwards for a bit of extra leg room. There’s less space back there than in the Kia Sorento and Santa Fe, but still enough to keep all but the tallest adults happy on an average journey. 

With all six or seven seats in use, boot space in the CX-80 is limited to 258 litres – about the same as you'll find in a small car such as the Kia Picanto.

With the third row folded away (a cinch to do – just pull on a single tag for each seat), the boot grows to 566 litres or, if you slide the second row forwards, 687 litres. In more relatable terms, that’s pretty much a match for the Santa Fe and should easily swallow a couple of pushchairs or lots of shopping.

The Sorento and the Skoda Kodiaq both offer even more space, with over 800 litres of storage and the ability to swallow up to 10 carry-on suitcases in our tests. 

For those times you need even more space, flattening all the back seats gives you a van-like 1971 litres. It’s also worth mentioning that PHEV models get a 1500W power socket in the boot – handy for charging an electric bike, for instance.

“The rearmost row really is best suited to children, but with USB-C sockets for their devices, I think they’ll be content to sit there.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

If you’re buying with cash, the Mazda CX-80 PHEV is a little pricier than the Kia Sorento but will cost you less than the equivalent Hyundai Santa Fe and more premium PHEV rivals including the Volvo XC90. 

The diesel CX-80, meanwhile, is a little more expensive but makes an entirely different case for itself. You see, it has a much bigger, more powerful and more refined engine than the four-cylinder units of its direct rivals, being closer in character to that of the BMW X7 – which costs thousands more to buy outright.

When it comes to the CX-80’s fuel efficiency, the PHEV theoretically wins hands down. Officially it can return 176.6mpg. To do so, though, would mean being very sparing with petrol power and fully charging the hybrid battery before every trip.

In reality, the economy you see will vary enormously depending on your daily routine. If your usual commute is shorter than the PHEV’s official electric-only range of 38 miles, though, you might well manage it without using any petrol, particularly if a lot of slow traffic is involved.

For company car users. the plug-in hybrid’s low official emissions and electric-only range slot it into the same BIK tax bracket as a PHEV Santa Fe. You'll pay even less BIK tax with an electric seven-seater such as a Kia EV9 or Peugeot e-5008.

The diesel CX-80’s higher official CO2 emissions, meanwhile, place it towards the top end of the BIK tax spectrum. Its official economy figure is up to 49.6mpg in entry-level Exclusive-line trim. That’s slightly lower than the Skoda Kodiaq diesel’s 52.3mpg figure but still isn’t bad for such a big SUV.

There are five trim levels offered, and none are sparse when it comes to standard equipment. In fact, Exclusive-line should satisfy the needs of most buyers. On top of the infotainment tech, you get black leather interior trim, a heated and leather-trimmed steering wheel, three-zone climate control and 18in alloy wheels.

Homura trim is mainly about sporty looks, with gloss-black and body-coloured exterior trim and black 20in alloy wheels. Inside you get an upgrade to soft Napa leather and ambient interior lighting.

Homura Plus adds a panoramic roof, rear privacy glass and some extra interior lighting (including in the door pockets and front centre storage compartment).

Takumi trades Homura’s sporty style for a more luxurious theme, with soft white Nappa leather upholstery and white maple wood interior accents. As with Homura Plus, Takumi Plus adds a panoramic sunroof and rear privacy glass. 

A smartphone app adds some extra convenience to every CX-80, allowing you to heat or cool the interior before a journey, activate the heated front and rear screens before you get in. If you have the PHEV, the app also lets you monitor and control charging

Euro NCAP testers has given the CX-80 five stars out of five for safety, and it comes with a decent suite of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, emergency lane-keep assistance and lane-departure warning. Homura Plus and Takumi Plus trims add adaptive cruise control.

The CX-80 has not yet appeared in our What Car? Reliability Survey. As a brand, Mazda finished in 16th place out of 31 manufacturers ranked in the 2024 survey. Hyundai and Kia did better, in 10th and 11th. Both those rivals offer longer standard warranties, giving you five-years, unlimited mileage or seven-years, 100,000-miles respectively, compared with just three years, 60,000 miles with the CX-80.

“The CX-80 PHEVs are a bit pricier than its direct rivals, but you won’t find a better diesel engine in a seven-seat SUV unless you pay a lot more.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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