Mazda CX-60 diesel

FIRST UK DRIVE Japanese brand bucks the trend with new diesel engine for big SUV

- Matt Robinson

IT feels odd to be driving a new car with an all-new inline six-cylinder diesel engine. But Mazda has talked of 'right-sizing' for years, so here we are with a completely fresh design of a type of engine rivals have been abandoning in recent launches.

The 3.3-litre turbodiesel engine, which will be joined by a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol motor later, is fitted longitudinally in the new CX-60, a mid-size SUV sitting on a fresh, predominantly rear-wheel-drive platform.

This car is at the forefront of Mazda's aims to push further upmarket, and when behind the wheel of our top-of-the-range Takumi-trimmed test car, this is certainly apparent. White Nappa leather seats, white maple-wood trim and a fabric dash covering help lift the cabin ambience. But the midspec Homura we also tried is much gloomier inside, with a focus on darker materials.

The engine produces 251bhp and 550Nm of torque, an increase on the lower-powered version's 197bhp and 450Nm that features on two-wheel-drive versions of the car. Still, the CX-60 should be brisk enough for most.