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Mazda CX-80

Mazda CX-80: Diesel Defiance Under Europe’s Gloomy Sky

Author: auto.pub | Published on: 23.06.2025

If today’s car market were a dinner party, Mazda would be the guy in the corner sipping cognac and loudly wondering why everyone else is munching celery sticks. The CX-80 is not just another seven-seat family hauler bought because the kids and dogs have outgrown the Golf. Instead, it’s Mazda’s quirky answer to a question nobody really asked: "Can you build a practical family car that’s both rebellious, charming, and completely swimming against the tide?"

Mazda, the company that once gave the world the rotary engine and the MX-5, has decided again that when everyone goes one way, they’ll turn and head the other. While the industry quietly shifts to batteries, Mazda has come out with an all-new large diesel engine. In Europe. On a market where diesels are eyed the way someone would look at a person lighting a cigar in a vegan bistro.

But the CX-80 isn’t a desperate midlife crisis project. It is a proper product of Japanese engineering and pragmatic boldness—a stretched CX-60, now with a third row and enough space for the whole family, their stuff, and maybe a random bulldog. For the environmentally inclined, there’s a plug-in hybrid option, so everyone’s needs are theoretically covered.

Where rivals like the Škoda Kodiaq and Hyundai Santa Fe are crisp white shirts—respectable and practical but a bit dull—the CX-80 is something different. Picture someone arriving at a party in a velvet blazer and hat, ready to argue for half an hour why diesel beats veganism. The aim is to offer an alternative for those who want a Land Rover Discovery-sized vehicle without mortgaging their entire life.

At first glance, the Mazda CX-80 looks like someone stretched the CX-60, said, “Okay, now push it a bit more,” and indeed they have. From the front, it’s almost identical to its smaller sibling: same chrome grille, same mocking LED headlights, same smooth, sculpted bumper. It’s as if the design team simply scribbled “Same, but longer” in the corner of their sketch.

Take a step to the side, though, and the picture changes. The CX-80 is gigantic. Its wheelbase is longer than a Volvo XC90’s. Longer than a BMW X7’s. Park it at one end of town and the tailgate might be in another postal code. All that extra length gives the CX-80 a stately, straight profile with no unnecessary creases or bulges—as if someone ironed the bodywork with serious enthusiasm.

Compared to the sportier CX-60, the CX-80 feels more mature, like the older sibling who knows they don’t need to grab all the attention. While other SUVs flaunt massive grilles and twinkling lights like disco balls from the 1970s, the CX-80 is simply stylish. Confident, but not flashy. Sophisticated, but not boring—think an expensive suit that’s impressive without being gaudy.

Pay attention to the details! The long hood and set-back cabin hint that there’s more than just a plastic engine cover stuffed with cotton balls under there. Real six-cylinder engines reside beneath, unafraid of discussing torque. That elongated nose isn’t just for show—it promises that something actually happens when you press the accelerator.

Wheels? Starting at 18 inches, but let’s be honest—no one really wants small wheels on a big SUV. Most CX-80s will come with the 20-inch option. Sure, that means a bit more tire noise and vibration, especially on our glorious spring roads. But look at those proportions. Do you really care about some tire noise when your ride looks like a power lawyer in a designer suit?

Step inside the CX-80, and you’re greeted by the vibe of a Japanese luxury hotel—everything hand-finished and the air itself seeming expensive. No rough plastics or cheap fake wood here. Genuine maple, cool metal, and Nappa leather so soft you’ll wonder if Mazda keeps a herd of massage-trained cattle somewhere.

Mazda calls its interior philosophy Kaichō and Hachō—names that sound like sumo wrestlers but really mean all the materials and patterns dance together in harmonious, slightly imperfect rhythm.

There’s more space than many downtown apartments, especially in the second row where seats slide and recline for optimal napping or leg-stretching. Getting into the third row is a bit acrobatic unless you’re on the shorter side, but at least there’s real access, not just a token crawl space like in some seven-seaters.

If you’re over six-foot-three and hope for comfort in the third row, good luck—a physical therapist may be in your future. The third row is the domain of kids and smaller adults, not NBA players. With all three rows up, you’ll fit a couple of small suitcases and a few water bottles in the trunk. Grocery runs can double as portion control—there just isn’t space for overbuying.

If you don’t need the third row, it folds flat to reveal a cavernous trunk, easily swallowing your family’s luggage and maybe the neighbor’s too, if you pack smart.

Opt for the six-seat version with captain’s chairs and you’ve reached another level: two luxurious seats, open aisle, and a business-class feel without any flight attendants nagging about seatbelts.

The driver’s cockpit? Mazda hasn’t gone for another fiddly touchscreen panel where every function requires finger gymnastics. Climate control has real buttons. Audio has real buttons. There’s even a proper rotary knob. It might seem odd at first, but after a few tries, you’ll appreciate not having to poke at a screen like you’re programming a Mars rover.

If you’re the type who talks to your car, the CX-80 features Amazon Alexa. Say: "Alexa, turn up the heat!"—and someone actually listens.

A 12.3-inch main display and a digital gauge cluster take center stage, and if you pick the right trim, you get a Bose 12-speaker audio system that makes even talk radio sound special.

Mazda welcomes diesel back to the SUV world with the CX-80. There’s a 3.3-liter straight-six, 550 Nm of torque, and a nearly two-ton body that moves like it’s attached to an invisible balloon. Zero to 100 km/h in just 8.4 seconds. Not bad at all.

There’s plenty of low-end pull so much so that if you drive with the tailgate open, cars behind you might instinctively slow down in fear of torque falling out. Low revs, a quiet rumble—everything feels refined and elegant, like you’re an emperor rather than a parent doing the school run.

Some rivals throw in a rattly four-cylinder and claim it’s for fuel savings. Mazda doesn’t play those tricks. The CX-80 is genuinely efficient. In real life, you can get below six liters per 100 km, meaning with a 70-liter tank you’ll cover over a thousand kilometers before thinking about refueling. In short: this car drinks less than your uncle on a holiday weekend.

The CX-80 rides on a rear-wheel-drive platform, just like the great sports cars of old. And despite being as long as a rush-hour traffic jam, it handles with surprising grace. In corners, it doesn’t flop over like a clumsy hippo. The steering is precise, and while body roll exists, the physics are well managed—you’re not setting Nürburgring records, but the overall feel is trustworthy.

The suspension isn’t cloud-soft. Mazda’s kept some road feedback, something almost extinct in today’s crossovers—you actually feel the road. Yes, sharp potholes and wavy tarmac can send jolts, especially with those good-looking 20-inch wheels. Let’s say there’s still room to reach true premium comfort.

All-wheel drive is available and the CX-80 will handle snow or rain with confidence but it’s no Defender-killer. There are no serious off-road modes or low-range gears—this is a car for snowy asphalt, not fording rocky rivers.

As for the plug-in hybrid, yes, there’s a version with 323 horsepower, 500 Nm, about 6.8 seconds to 100 km/h, and 60 km of electric-only range. Sounds good on paper, though that version wasn’t tested. For short city commutes and impressing the CO₂ charts, it’s perfect. But if you love real driving, you’ll know the true CX-80 is the six-cylinder diesel.

If anyone tells you big cars are safe just because they’re big, put them behind the wheel of the Mazda CX-80 and let the car show what real safety means.

Fact: the CX-80 scored a full five stars in Euro NCAP tests. Not just that, it was declared the best in its class among large SUVs for 2024. Why? For starters, Mazda equipped it with a system that not only detects if you’re dozing off but can take control if needed. If you start nodding off after a weekend BBQ and three liters of cucumber juice, the CX-80 won’t just beep at you like most cars. It’ll quietly take the wheel, slow down, park itself safely, turn on the hazards, and—seriously—even open the doors so paramedics can reach you quicker. The next step might be the car offering you emotional support.

And that’s just the start. Mazda Co-Pilot, i-Activsense, Cruising & Traffic Support—it all sounds like Bond gadgets but it works. The car tracks your eyes and hands, keeps you in your lane, and can brake autonomously. If you drift off course and there’s a Škoda or a pack of hairy bikers coming, the CX-80 won’t shrug—it will steer you back to safety before things get ugly.

Smart Brake Support detects not just vehicles and pedestrians ahead but also oncoming traffic, braking if a maniac heads your way. If that sounds overly protective, remember how often you scroll Instagram at the wheel. Sometimes, it’s better if the car thinks for you.

There’s more. The CX-80 remembers if you opened a rear door at the start of your trip. After ten hours in traffic, when you just want to collapse outside, Mazda politely asks, “Did you forget anything or anyone in the back?”

All this tech is backed by a robust passive safety setup. The CX-80’s body is reinforced like a tank, airbags float from all sides—front, side, curtains, and even a central pillow between front occupants to prevent friendly headbutts. The A-pillars are shaped so you can spot pedestrians who pop up like ninjas from behind corners.

Add in blind spot monitors, cross-traffic alerts, auto high beams, and all the usual gadgets—because honestly, with 550 Nm of torque and nearly two tons gliding along, you want to know your car has your back in a crisis.

To sum up this big, ambitious chunk of metal called the Mazda CX-80: Mazda went big, but didn’t make many mistakes in the process.

The CX-80 is not just another bland, grey-plastic family SUV. It’s something bold and true to itself—a car that drives well, looks dignified, and protects you like a tank.

And then there’s that six-cylinder diesel. Mazda gives you a silky, juicy, satisfying engine that’ll have you believing there’s still hope for the world every time you accelerate.

Is this the perfect car? Of course not. If you want your SUV to glide over speed bumps like a boat on a lake, buy yourself a four-wheeled sofa. The Mazda CX-80 tells you right away when the road gets rough. But as a complete package, it’s easily above average.