Keeping up with the big boys...

Mazda CX-80 delivers a smooth seven-seater that stands out among its rivals

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LIKE most carmakers, Mazda has been busy focusing on SUVs and it hasn't offered a new seven-seater for the past decade.

But good news - it's taken its posh CX-60 SUV, stretched it a bit, and squeezed in two extra seats.

WHAT'S NEW?

The resulting CX-80 allows Mazda to rub shoulders with other carmakers who make large family SUVs, like Hyundai with its Santa Fe. And it also gets a step closer to taking on German premium brands like BMW. It debuts tweaks to address criticisms of the smaller CX-60.

WHAT'S UNDER THE BONNET?

The same choice of engines as the CX-60, so there's a plug-in hybrid and good old-fashioned diesel power.

For the PHEV, it's a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which works with a 173bhp electric motor, and this is fed by a 17.8kWh battery. Total power is a chunky 323bhp and 500Nm of torque, meaning it can dash to 60mph in just 6.8 seconds.

The real appeal of the PHEV will be to company car drivers as its 38-mile EV range means it slots into the 12% benefit-in-kind tax bracket.