Bumpy ride? Australian Mazda CX-60 owners offered new rear dampers and transmission tune to address criticism of BMW X3 and Lexus NX rival

Owners of Mazda CX-60 models built between 28 March and 30 September 2023 are eligible for revised rear suspension parts. 

Mazda made running updates to the rear dampers of the CX-60 medium luxury SUV as a way to address criticism from media and owners about a firm rear ride. 

There is also a software update applicable to all CX-60s to smooth the operation of Mazda’s unique eight-speed automatic transmission that uses a multi-plate clutch in place of a torque converter. Both are being offered free of charge to owners. 

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CarsGuide Senior Journalist Richard Berry had a CX-60 long-term test car and noticed the terse ride: “On Sydney’s roads the CX-60’s suspension is too firm and jostling for a family SUV. Then there’s the rough and jerky feeling transmission which Mazda has admitted could be better.” 

A Mazda spokesperson said: “this is a running change available to CX-60 owners allowing early customers to align their vehicle with the latest factory specification. This option includes a revised rear shock absorber fitted at no cost through the Mazda dealer network. 

“As CX-60 makes its way into more markets, we continue to study the vehicle and review customer feedback. There is no change in specification regards the CX-90, thus no running changes planned for this model currently”, the spokesperson added. 

The Mazda CX-60 is available with three different powertrain options in Australia.

The first shipment of new dampers arrived in March and some CX-60s have had the change applied. According to existing owners, there is more stock of the new dampers arriving in mid-May for those yet to have the update. 

Alongside running changes, the BMW X3 and Lexus NX rival has been subject to recalls since its launch in July 2023 including one for the steering system recall and another for loss-of-power in the P50e plug-in hybrid.

As it does with all models from CX-3 to CX-9, Mazda will continue to incrementally update its Large Product platform vehicles, especially after making such a significant investment in the high-profit premium tactic.