Mazda CX-60 vs Land Rover Discovery

What's the difference?

Have no doubts. The MY25 version of the CX-60 is the SUV that Mazda should have launched in Australia in 2023.

It fulfils the promise of its sophisticated specification, builds on the extensive dynamic abilities of previous models, and now provides a compelling – and unique – choice for medium-SUV buyers who do not need an extended seven-seater.

It may still looks a bit daggy from some angles outside, and we’d like a little bit less suspension noise on the inside, but the CX-60 should now be on Australian family-car shortlists.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The Land Rover Discovery D300 S is a great family-friendly 4WD wagon.

It’s quiet, refined, and supremely well appointed; it’s also very nice to drive on-road and it’s a lot of fun – and very capable – off-road. 

It’s packed full of driver-assist tech and its Pivi Pro system is a real treat to use once you’ve mastered the art, which doesn’t take long.

But you could say all of those same things about the new Defender. 

So, is the Discovery still relevant? I reckon it is … at least for the time being.

If you’re searching for something new in the looks department for the CX-60, you won’t find it, since this is essentially the same car as last year’s model from the outside. Except there’s a new beige colour option.

Which means the same long-bonnet/cab-backward silhouette remains, along with the corporate wing-motif grille, hunched-over styling (that looks awkward from some angles) and short rear overhangs.

Still, the overall effect remains modern, clean and distinct from the nearly-identical and very closely-related CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 further up the Mazda food chain.

Note that the CX-60 is usefully larger than the CX-5, with the former coming in at 4740mm long, 1890mm wide, 1675mm tall and 2870mm in wheelbase length, compared to the latter’s 4575mm, 1845mm, 1680mm and 2700mm dimensions respectively.

Which, of course, elevates it from an interior point of view.

As always, I’ll avoid waxing lyrical about the styling of a vehicle – suffice to say, it looks good.

In terms of dimensions, this Discovery is 4956mm long (with a 2923mm wheelbase), 2220mm wide and 1888mm high.

It has a listed kerb weight of 2437kg.

Like the exterior, the changes for the MY25 CX-60 are pretty much under the skin, with improved noise/vibration and harshness-quelling measures to quieten things down more.

And an exhaust-sound enhancer through the audio system to liven things up if you desire.

Representing the aforementioned $10K saving over the previous entry-level Evolve, the Pure does possess less opulent trim and (nice) cloth seat fabrics, but otherwise the CX-60 does present a larger-than-usual cabin environment compared to smaller medium-sized SUVs.

But fans of big, showy screens may be underwhelmed.

The dash is elegant but somewhat old-fashioned, especially compared to, say, the latest BMW X3’s dazzling displays. It feels like a hangover from last decade’s CX-9.

Yet there’s no denying how satisfyingly easy and logical most of it is, from the super-clear, electronic instrumentation to the simple and effective climate control layout, while the iDrive-style rotary controller means less time with eyes off the road. Safe, intuitive ergonomics. Thank you, Mazda.

Additionally, there’s a quality solidness to the fit and finish that elevates the social-climbing Mazda beyond what a CX-5 could achieve.

All the essentials are also well thought out, from storage and vision out to ventilation and, not least of all, space and seat support, especially when sat on over long distances.

That also carries over to the expansive back-seat environment, with air vents, USB ports, lighting, cupholders and grab handles. The CX-60 is an SUV that a family could grow into without it feeling excessive.

Is this ‘big-medium’ or ‘small-large’ sized?

From the boot’s perspective, either fits, and is one of the reasons why you might consider stepping up to a CX-60. The floor is low, wide, flat and easy to load, as well as beautifully finished.

The 40/20/40 split fold backrests can be folded remotely via Mazda’s Karakuri function, boosting capacity from 477 litres (VDA) to 1726L, while the in-line six-cylinder models have a space-saver spare wheel underneath, leaving PHEV owners with an inadequate tyre repair kit.

The interior has a real premium feel about it, but it still serves as a very practical space.

In terms of cargo space, there is 2391 litres with the second and third row stowed away; 1137 litres with the third row stowed away; and 258 litres with all rows in use.

The third-row seats can be either manually folded down into the floor to use that area as cargo space, or lifted up into a seating position.

There is a load-space cover, light, luggage tie-downs, bag hook and 12v in the rear, and two USB charging sockets for the third-row passengers.

The second row is a 60:40 electric-folding set-up with manual slide and powered recline, centre headrest and armrest, as well as map pockets, and door-moulded recesses. Second-row passengers get two USB C and one USB A charging points, air vents, air-con controls and more.

The front seats are 14-way electrically-adjustable with captain’s armrest, grained leather seat facings with Ebony interior; the Pivi Pro 11.4-inch touchscreen with digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; as well as one USB A and three USB C points.

The Discovery has a fixed front and rear panoramic roof.

For reference, this Discovery D300 S has a price-tag of $101,875* (plus on road costs).

As standard, the seven-seat Discovery’s list of features is considerable, as it should be at this price-point, and includes a 11.4-inch Pivi Pro multi-media touchscreen (like an all-in-one vehicle operating system, but more about it later), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, fixed sunroofs, 3D Surround Camera, height-adjustable air suspension, 20-inch five-split-spoke, gloss silver wheels, and a whole lot of driver-assist tech.

There are also plenty of optional features available, which obviously push the price up the more you add to your Disco.

Our test vehicle was equipped with a stack of those extras and, because of that, its price-tag was $110,910* (plus on-road costs). (Prices correct at time of writing.)

Optional features on our test vehicle include Advanced Off-Road Capability Pack ($3970, twin-speed transfer box (high/low range), All Terrain Progress Control, Terrain Response 2, Configurable Terrain Response; Active Rear Locking Differential $1110; Tow hitch receiver $1000; Leisure Activity Key $960; Black Roof Rails $940; Privacy glass $920; Premium carpet mats $640; and wireless device charging $455.

By the way, the Discovery is available in a variety of colours including Fuji White, which is on our test vehicle, as well as versions of black, blue, grey and silver.

For now, the base engine is the 209kW/450Nm G40e, a 3.3-litre turbo-petrol ‘six’ delivering the sort of healthy power figures that late-model Commodore and Falcon buyers would appreciate.

There’s also the 187kW/550Nm D50e turbo-diesel version, for extra pulling power and economy, and we’re getting into premium Euro territory here, because both offer a 48-volt, mild-hybrid system, employing a small electric motor located behind the engine to boost torque yet cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Mazda says new motor control and clutch slip control software facilitates “…smoother transitions as the electric motor is activated and deactivated”. We hope so!

Last but not least, there’s the 241kW/500Nm P50e plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain, combining the familiar 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a larger, 129kW electric motor powered by a 17.8kWh Lithium ion battery. The latter allows up to 76km of pure-electric driving, and can be recharged either by regenerative braking when driving or plugged into a Type 2 port.

All three engines use a revised eight-speed, wet multi-plate-clutch automatic transmission, still driving the rear or, as traction and/or performance needs arise, all four wheels.

Yep, this is essentially a rear-drive-biased family SUV, with a sophisticated double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension set-up to keep everything in line.

So, what’s changed underneath compared to last year’s CX-60?

Among the modifications are stiffer dampers and softer rear springs to address ride-comfort issues with the old car; relocated front knuckle mounts; altered rear axle bushes and the removal of the rear anti-roll bar for more stable control; shorter rear bump stops for greater suspension travel; an extra joint in the steering column quells vibrations while updated software improves steering feel and electronic stability control operation. The goal is for noticeably smoother, comfier and more linear dynamics. 

Result? To find out how much better or worse Mazda’s latest mid-sized SUV is, we drove the it in a variety of conditions, from the push-and-shove of Melbourne’s bumper-to-bumper peak-hour traffic, to a series of demanding emergency-swerve and multi-speed ride and handling test manoeuvres at the legendary Lang Lang proving ground that shaped so many of our iconic Holdens.

More on that a bit later on.

The Discovery has a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel engine – producing 220kW at 4000rpm and a whopping 650Nm at 1500-2500rpm – working with a mild hybrid system. 

Those impressive power and torque figures don’t tell the whole story of just how well the Disco’s engine is able to punch this big unit along the road at a comfortable clip and – bonus – its chunk of torque, useable across a decent rev range, comes in very handy when off-roading.

It has an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system.

One area where the Mazda did not need fixing is in its fuel economy.

All of the CX-60’s powertrains are rated at Euro 5.

Officially, the G40e 3.3-litre petrol averages 7.4L/100km, on the combined cycle, and emits 174 grams per kilometre of CO2. Urban and Extra Urban numbers are 9.9L/100km and 6.0L/100km.

Fitted with a 58L petrol tank, expect an average range of around 780km. And it will run on standard 91 RON unleaded petrol to boot.

Moving on to the D50e 3.3L diesel, it manages an impressive 5.0L/100km, for a CO2 figure of 132g/km, resulting in a range average of about 1160km. Its Urban/Extra Urban figures are 5.5/4.7L/100km respectively.

And, finally, there’s the P50e 2.5L PHEV, offering a theoretical 2.1L/100km, for a CO2 figure of just 49g/km, for an unlikely range average of 2380km from its 50L tank, though on 95 RON premium unleaded brew.

Out in the real world, and mostly driven harder than a typical owner might, the trip computer in the PHEV showed low sevens, while the diesel displayed mid-eights and the petrol high nines, which aren’t too bad at all.

Fuel consumption is listed as 7.5L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.8L/100km. That’s sound considering I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing on this test and the Disco is quite a hefty unit.

The Land Rover Discovery D300 S has an 89-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel-consumption figures, I’d expect an effective touring range of about 860km, but remember that figure includes a built-in 50km safe-distance buffer. 

This is the acid test. Does the CX-60 drive like a Mazda should?

In the engine department, definitely.

The changes that Mazda has made to the transmission calibration means that it no longer hunts indecisively between ratios like it used to, and that results in smoother shifts as well as a more relaxed driving experience.

And that's across the range, whether we're talking about the six-cylinder diesel or petrol, or four-pot plug-in hybrid. And the latter brings the biggest surprise, because the changes made to the gearbox have resulted in a much more pleasant car around town, with no more shunting or jerky movements to contend with.

And then there's the ride, which is palpably softer than before. The suspension is significantly more pliable and comfortable as a consequence, offering better bump absorption, improved control at speed and basically just a more refined experience. We tried several of the Lang Lang Proving Ground’s rough-road tests, which the CX-60 sailed over without any of the hard jarring of the previous model, which Mazda helpfully provided for back-to-back assessments.

So, how does all that translate in everyday driving?

Well, the latest CX-60 is way more comfortable to ride in across the board, it handles and corners with greater control and linearity, seems quieter and it's just a suppler experience overall.

As there was so much that was good with the original CX-60 anyway, including muscular performance from the inline six-cylinder turbos, impressive high-speed stability and exceptional body control through fast turns, the modifications for 2025 do much to elevate an already good thing.

So, it's a win-win situation. If you are in the market for a sub-premium, mid-sized SUV with performance and space, as well as newfound comfort and sophistication, you can do a lot worse than check out the CX-60. It is that much better than before.

The Discovery is very impressive on-road. No surprise really as it has always had a reputation as a comfortable on-road cruiser – and it's lost nothing in this latest iteration. 

It is a smooth driving experience: quiet, refined and you suffer little to no noise from outside intruding into the cabin. 

The seats are very comfortable and supportive, and that makes it perfect for long-distance trips. 

The straight-six engine and eight speed auto are a nice combination, quietly effective, and well-managed. 

Acceleration is good with sharp throttle response, so you can crack on the pace when you need to, say, for instance, from a standing start or when you need to overtake a vehicle. 

In terms of overall driving experience, there’s nothing too outrageously exciting or dynamic on offer here, because this is a large SUV, but it’s always comfortable and it’s lively enough if you want to give it the boot. There are paddle shifters if you want to get fancy with your up- and down-shifting.

It’s not all good news: visibility from the driver’s seat is a bit pinched out the rear of the Discovery (due to its styling); there is pronounced body-roll through corners; the brakes are quite spongy, with a real delayed-action feel about them; ride is a tad harsh because you are rolling along on 20-inch tyres and rims, which is something I’m not so used to; and, the steering column is manually adjustable only, which I reckon is a bit slack for such a pricey vehicle.

The Land Rover Discovery D300 S has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on 2017 testing. 

As standard, its suite of driver-assist tech includes AEB, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking aids, and trailer stability assist (TSA).

Don’t forget the Discovery’s terrain response system, and front and rear diff-locks.

Mazda could also do a bit better with its warranty nowadays, since its five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance is decidedly average.

Service intervals are at 12 months or every 15,000km, while a fixed-price service scheme is available, starting from $463 per service depending on powertrain. That’s for the petrol. The diesels start from $500 while the PHEVs commence from $435.

The Discovery has a five year/unlimited km warranty with five years roadside assistance.

The service plan applies over five years/130,000km (whichever occurs first) with a cost of $2650.