Mazda has announced UK pricing and specification for its flagship CX-60 SUV, due this autumn and debuting the brand’s plug-in hybrid technology.

The CX-60 arrives this autumn and marks new approaches to design and sustainability by Mazda

Priced from £43,950, it sits above the CX-5 and marks new approaches to design and sustainability by the carmaker.

It will initially launch with Mazda’s inaugural PHEV powertrain, which combines a Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 136hp electric motor and a 17.8kWh battery.

With a total system output of 327hp and torque of 500Nm, it’s the most powerful road car Mazda has ever produced. The 0-62mph performance stands at 5.8 seconds.

The Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV will also deliver WLTP combined fuel consumption of 188mpg and CO2 emissions of 33g/km. Along with its 39-mile electric-only range, this puts it in the 12% Benefit-in-Kind bracket for 2022/23.

It’s built on Mazda’s Skyactiv Scalable Architecture and uses a longitudinal front-engine rear-wheel drive mechanical layout, along with a double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension set-up. It also features Mazda’s Kinetic Posture Control technology.

Boot space comes in at 570 litres while the interior uses the same cockpit design found in all Mazda cars, with a symmetrical layout focused on the driver.

Other engines will arrive later, including a new-generation straight-six 3.0-litre e-Skyactiv X petrol and 3.3-litre Skyactiv-D diesel, both with 48V mild hybrid technology. These are married up to the same eight-speed automatic transmission and i-Activ All-Wheel Drive system as the PHEV, but the e-Skyactiv D diesel unit and the e-Skyactiv X petrol engine have also been developed to be equipped with rear-wheel drive.

The CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV will be available in the UK with three grades – Exclusive-Line, Homura and Takumi. These can be enhanced across all grades with two option packs: Convenience Pack and Driver Assistance Pack. A Comfort Pack is additionally available on the entry Exclusive-Line, while Homura and Takumi models can be specified with a panoramic roof.

The mid-spec Homura is priced from £46,700 and gets a stand-out exterior look that adds in body-coloured wheel arch mouldings and a dark-plated signature wing grille surround, plus gloss black mirrors and honeycomb grille treatment and 20-inch black alloys. Inside, the Homura grade features heating for the outer rear seats and ambient lighting. Equipment includes the Mazda Driver Personalisation System that identifies the driver via facial recognition and automatically adjusts seat position, steering wheel, mirrors, head-up display, even the sound and climate control settings – to fit their stance and personal preferences.

The top-spec Takumi is priced from £48,050 and features 20-inch black machined alloy wheels and body-coloured mirrors, combined with chrome-plated signature wing grille treatment and side window surround.

Highlights in the £1,000 Convenience Pack include privacy glass, 360 view monitor with see through view and wireless phone charging, while the Driver Assistance Pack adds a large tally of additional active safety technology for £1,100.

The £1,400 Comfort Pack is only offered with the Exclusive-Line, but adds high-grade features like 20-inch alloy wheels, electric front seats, front seat ventilation, rear seat heaters and the Mazda Driver Personalisation System technology. Across all three models in the CX-60 range there is a choice of eight body colours including the new Rhodium White premium metallic paint.

The Mazda Intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive) offers a choice of drive modes: Normal, Sport, Off-Road, Towing and EV, with the latter making it possible to drive under electric power alone.

It also features a range of i-Activsense driver assistance systems. These include the debuts of Mazda’s See-Through View tech – a 360-degree monitor with extended field of view at low speeds; Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Adaptive Cruise Control (i-ACC), which can now incorporate speed limits from Traffic Sign Recognition.

The CX-60 is the first of two new models from the company’s Large Product group to be introduced throughout Europe during the next two years, with the second being the three-row Mazda CX-80.