Key highlights
- The 2027 CX-60 and CX-80 get revised rear suspension crossmember bushings aimed at a smoother, more refined ride.
- It is the third suspension update for the CX-60 in three years and the first for the CX-80.
- Mazda Australia has declined to confirm whether or when the updates will reach local showrooms.
Mazda is having another go at sorting the ride of its big Large Architecture SUVs. The Japanese brand has announced retuned suspension for the 2027 CX-60 and CX-80 in Europe, with cars due in showrooms there from December 2026.
As of 16 October 2026, nothing has been confirmed for Australia. Mazda Australia has declined to say if or when the updates will arrive here, so there is no local timing, pricing or specification to report yet.
Read more: 2027 Mazda MX-5 price and specs: Minor refresh, higher price
What has actually changed
According to Mazda’s Dutch press release, the company has “further improved the ride comfort” of both models by revising the rear suspension crossmember bushings. In plain English, bushings are the rubber or similar mounts where suspension components attach to the car’s structure. They soak up vibration and road shock before it reaches the cabin, so changing them can noticeably alter how a car feels over rough bitumen.
Mazda says the change should contribute to a smoother, more refined drive. It hasn’t published any figures on how much difference the new bushings make, so that is something to judge once the cars can be driven back to back.
The update also brings more sound-absorbing material in the engine bay, as well as between the engine bay and the cabin. Both SUVs also gain Active Parking Control, a semi-autonomous system that can handle parallel and perpendicular parking manoeuvres.
On the colour front, the CX-60 loses Deep Crystal Blue mica in favour of Aero Grey, while the CX-80 adds Polymetal Grey to its palette. Australian CX-60 and CX-80 buyers can currently only get Machine Grey Metallic if they want a grey finish.
A long-running suspension story
This is the third suspension revision for the Mazda CX-60 in as many years, and the first for the CX-80. Late in 2023, Mazda began fitting revised rear shock absorbers to CX-60s at the factory. The following year, Australian owners of earlier cars were offered those shocks as a free retrofit.
A further update arrived in May 2025, bringing softer rear springs, increased rear rebound damping and firmer front compression damping. The 2027 changes focus on the rear crossmember bushings instead, which suggests Mazda is still chasing the same goal from a different angle.
What it means for Australian buyers
Australia is the only market in the world that gets all four Large Architecture SUVs: the CX-60, CX-80, CX-70 and CX-90. That makes any update to this family more relevant here than almost anywhere else, particularly with the Mazda CX-60 and CX-80 sitting in a busy mid-size and large SUV segment.
If you own a Mazda CX-60 or CX-80, or are weighing one up, the sensible move is to ask your dealer what suspension specification a particular car has. Whether the new bushings will be offered to existing Australian owners is unknown. It would be reasonable to wonder if Mazda follows the retrofit approach it used in 2024, but that is speculation, and Mazda Australia has made no such commitment.
Buyers should also be careful about assuming Australian cars will match European ones. The European press release is specific to that market, and local specs, equipment and timing often differ.
Bigger changes may be coming
Mazda’s president, Masahiro Moro, said in August that the company is working on updates for the Large Architecture SUVs, including the CX-70 and CX-90, after sales fell short of projections. He said the upgrades would cover the exterior, interior and powertrain on a scale never seen before, though he did not detail the extent of the changes or give a timeline. That was reported by Japanese outlet Chugoku Shimbun.
The European Mazda CX-60 and CX-80 updates were developed with that market in mind. No updates have been detailed yet for the US-focused CX-70 and CX-90.
For now, the Australian picture is simple. Mazda has shown it is willing to keep refining these SUVs, but local pricing, availability and timing for the 2027 changes haven’t been announced. We’ll update this story when Mazda Australia confirms its plans.
Comments
New Comment