14/09/2025

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY SEPT 14, 2025

The infotainment screen is not touch enabled.

The plastic trim on the side of the car is a questionable choice.

The headlights mark a new design language for Mazda.

Should you spend your money on it? If there is one thing about media drives is that it is a great opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other. Most of the journalists use the opportunity to ask the other what they think of the car, and during the CX-60 drive, almost all the journalists agreed that the car is priced competitively. In fact, some of us expected it to be priced around the RM220,000 region, so the fact that Bermaz wants just RM200,510.40 for a Japanese made car is a great deal. There is no denying that the CX-60 comes with stunning good looks. That elongated bonnet with the cabin placed further back is a classic cruiser design and gives the SUV a very powerful stance. So yes, it is worth every ringgit, especially if you like cars that drive well. The CX-60 also comes with all the advanced driver assistance systems that you could want in a car, including adaptive cruise control with stop and go function. So, I recommend test driving one, and when you do, try to look for a long sweeping corner, and have a feel for how the Mazda CX-60 simply tucks into it. Specifications: Engine: 2.5-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-four cylinders Transmission: Eight-speed automatic Power: 189hp @ 6000rpm Torque: 261Nm @ 3000rpm Price (as tested): RM200,510.40 We like: Driving dynamics, good looks, high quality interior. We don’t like: Rear seats can be cramped for taller passengers.

front with memory function for the driver. I should say that I expected the rear to be bigger than what it is. It can be cramped for taller passengers especially over long-distance road trips. In this department, there is no beating the Honda CR-V and its acreage. But when it comes to understated elegance, the Mazda is ace. How does it drive? The CX-60 is in Malaysia as a single variant called the 2.5 2WD High. As the name suggests, it’s powered by a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine making 189hp and 261Nm of torque – all sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission which interestingly does not have a torque converter but uses clutch plates instead. On the move, the interior of the CX 60 is quiet with the suspension doing a decent job at keeping the occupants comfortable. I would not describe the suspension as plush, you feel what the road is doing underneath the car, but neither is it trashy either. It’s a nice balance of comfort and control. I also felt like the car needed a tad more power, but that can be put down to the fact that I drive a turbocharged Mazda that has more power than the CX-60. So perhaps a little expectatio management on my part is needed. But! On the highway though, the CX-60 proved to be a great cruiser. At about the 140kph mark (illegal, I know but bear with me) the CX-60 is at its sweet spot, with the cabin remaining hushed as you can barely hear the world outside.

the infotainment menu and above that is the gear selector as well as other controls such as the electronic parking brake and such. Ahead of you is a conventional Mazda steering wheel which is also found in other Mazda models. It comes with paddle shifters and that is a nice touch as it adds a sporty character to the car. Left of the steering wheel lays a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which is something new for Mazda fans in Malaysia. Before this, digital instrument clusters in Mazda have always been a combination of analogue with some digital readouts, so this is refreshing. It is also not overly complicated like some of the instrument panels you get in Chinese cars. To the left of that is the infotainment screen that also measures in at 12.3-inches. That’s the central command system for the car and it also comes with wireless Carplay and Android Auto. However, you must use the rotary dial to navigate through it, and that is a bit of a pity because sometimes touchscreens are just quicker and easier. Beyond that are soft touch panels as well as loads of leather trimming, which may divide opinions. The leather is heavily grained, and though I didn’t mind it so much, my co-drivers thought it was too much. Overall quality on the other hands feels great with no hollow points around the cabin. And I must commend the stitching around the interior as it makes the car feel a lot more expensive than what it actually is. You also get electronic seats at the

So, what took Bermaz so long to introduce the CX-60 to Malaysia? During a recent drive to Ipoh, Tan Sri Dato Sri Ben Yeoh, the executive chairman of Bermaz Auto explained that the company decided to delay the introduction of the CX-60 to allow Mazda to iron out any issues it could potentially have had with the first generation model. Though not exactly known as the second-generation model, the CX-60 that we are getting in Malaysia has been improved over the model launched initially. Sometimes a new product fresh off the design board and off the factory floor can have teething issues. So, by delaying the launch and to give Mazda some time to improve the product ultimately benefits Malaysian buyers. An Australian reviewer who had driven the early CX-60 described it as “niggly and nervous” back in 2022. In fact, Mazda Australia tried to solve this issue by updating the CX-60 by using different rear shock absorbers. They also went a step further by making these absorbers available to existing owners as a retrofitted item. After driving the current model, perhaps Bermaz’s choice to delay the launch was not such a bad idea. How does the CX-60 feel? Before jumping into that, let’s begin with the interior of the car. The CX-60 is a big car, and you feel that inside it as well. When you first get in, you will notice that the front passenger sits quite a distance away from you. There’s also a large centre column in between both of you. This column houses a rotary dial which you use to navigate through

The buttons on the steering wheel are not entirely new though.

The CX-60 gets a full digital instrument cluster.

The rotating dial controls the infotainment system.