Confirmed! Mazda CX-80 locked in for Australia - but when will we see this premium Toyota Kluger rival?

The Mazda CX-80 has been confirmed for Australia, with the brand's still-mysterious SUV set to effectively replace the CX-9 in our market.

Joining the CX-60 and CX-90, the CX-80 will continue the brand's premium push – or what it calls "Mazda Premium" – and is expected to be offered with a choice or petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid powertrains.

“The First-Ever Mazda CX-80 will play a key part in growing our premium product portfolio by distilling the exemplary qualities of the CX-60 and CX-90, while offering our customers an even broader choice of options, as we continue to expand, enrich and diversify the Mazda range,” says Vinesh Bhindi, Mazda Australia Managing Director.

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Just what the CX-80 is, however, remains something of a mystery. But we do expect it to be a three-row SUV, and, given it shares its 'large product' platform with the CX-90, we'd be shocked if it didn't also share that model's engine choices, though possibly detuned to give some clear air between it and the bigger flagship SUV.

Like its smaller CX-60 sibling, the CX-90 will appear with two potent inline six-cylinder engines, one petrol and one diesel, both supplemented by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

The petrol option makes the CX-90 the brand's most powerful vehicle. The 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder turbo petrol churns out a sizeable 254kW and 500Nm, making it the "most powerful mass production petrol car ever developed by Mazda".

Option two is a 3.3-litre six-cylinder diesel producing a CX-60-equalling 187kW and 550Nm. Both powertrains pair with an eight-speed automatic. There is a third powertrain option available overseas, a potent plug-in hybrid setup that pairs a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and 17.8kWh battery, producing a total 240kW and 500Nm.

But how, or if, those powertrains will appear in the CX-80 remains to be seen, with the other unanswered question being timing.

Mazda internationally is on the record as confirming the CX-80 will launch in Europe by the end of 2023, but that doesn't guarantee an Australian launch this year.

The brand has confirmed the CX-9 will be removed from sale here by the end of the year, and you'd have to assume it wouldn't want its replacement to be too far away. Which means a launch in early 2024 is definitely on the cards.

Pricing is yet to confirmed, but we do have a guide. The CX-60 kicks off at $59,900, which means the CX-80 – which is designed to sit above that model – should start somewhere north of that.

Expect full details of the CX-80 to drop later this year.