To dive into this immediately, the Mazda CX-80 looks handsome, almost majestic, feels thoughtfully engineered in many areas, and has an interior that is easily one of the most tasteful in its class. There is a sense of restraint and maturity to the way Mazda does cabins that continues to stand out, especially now that
And in this plug-in hybrid (PHEV) form and spec, the CX-80 certainly looks and feels like a premium product. The colour scheme works beautifully, the two-tone steering wheel looks almost Bentley-like, and details such as the ventilated seats give it the sense of occasion you would expect at this price point.
The issue is that once you move past the styling, ambience and equipment, the CX-80 also reveals a few limitations that make it harder to wholeheartedly recommend than the smaller CX-60.
Part of that comes down to price. At roughly RM 100,000 more than a CX-60, expectations naturally rise. And while the CX-80 does offer more space, more seats and more equipment, it does not always feel like a proportionate step up in the areas that matter most.
The PHEV powertrain remains the biggest talking point.