Mazda’s Big Hybrid SUV Matches Smaller Luxury German Rivals’ Agility

The Mazda CX-80, a three-row crossover designed for larger families and available in European and Asian markets, shares its underpinnings with the Mazda CX-90 designed for US market. While spacious and comfortable, as you would expect considering Mazda’s consistency there with its larger SUVs, independent testing by Spanish publication km77 has revealed flaws in the CX-80s grip and handling. Specifically, it didn’t do well in the Moose Test, a form of testing that shines lights on a vehicle’s flaws during an emergency maneuver.

The Dreaded Moose Test

For testing, km77 used the CX-80 plug-in hybrid model equipped with Toyo Proxes Sport tires (235/50 rubber with a diameter of 20 inches). According to km77‘s test driver, Pablo David Gonzales, managed a respectable 78 km/h (48.5 mph) in the moose test, narrowly avoiding cones.

However, it took some practice as Gonzales hit cones during an earlier attempt at 74 km/h (46 mph). According to him, the vehicle displayed unexpected and pronounced bouncing during the initial hard left-right maneuver, and the suspension, overall, is soft and causes a lot of body roll.

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In the slalom test, the CX-80 clocked a time of 24.8 seconds, matching the times of electric vehicles like the BMW iX xDrive40 and (smaller) Mercedes-Benz GLC 220d 4MATIC. Other vehicles mentioned making the same time include the (smaller) MG Motors 4 Electric and the Subaru Solterra.

Mazda’s CX-80 is the largest SUV the brand sells in Europe. Compared to the CX-90, designed for the US market, the CX-80 is narrower and has less passenger and cargo space than the CX-90. The narrower chassis and added weight of batteries for the plug-in hybrid drivetrain go against the CX-80 in a test like this.

It’s Not All Bad News For The CX-80

However, we’re not convinced the CX-80 is quite as bad as it was made to be here – it took the same time on the slalom test as BMW’s all-electric flagship sport SUV, the smaller EVs and the Mercedes-Benz GLC 220d 4MATIC – all of which we would expect to be more agile. However, the bouncing suspension during a sudden emergency maneuver does go against Mazda’s philosophy of Jinba Ittai, which translates to “horse and rider as one,” and it could be dangerous in an emergency maneuver. Mazda prides itself on its vehicle’s driving dynamics, and typically delivers, often exceeding expectations.

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Examples there include the wider CX-90 and the smaller, yet equally excellent Mazda CX-50 – particularly when you get it off the tarmac and onto dirt tracks. Nobody realistically expects every Mazda to handle just like an MX-5 due to basic physics. Mazda can do great things with a chassis and suspension, but if we were to take this Moose Test at face value, it appears Mazda needs to refine the CX-80.