This hybrid is tweaked to perfection

Hither and dither doesn’t begin to describe it.

In a single week, work and son have taken me to Manchester, Liverpool, Durham, Penrith, Darlington, Bradford, Richmond, Barnard Castle and Shrewsbury.

That’s more than 1,200 miles and I should be on my last legs but I’m not thanks to Mazda and its brilliant CX-60.

When the Japanese manufacturer launched the large SUV it was accompanied by a lot of hype, particularly around various Japanese philosophies.

Most cynical British hacks probably scoffed at what they considered waffle but now I’m not so sure.

I think cars can run deeper than the materials they are made of and when human engineering adopts a Far East meditative approach the result is astounding.

CX-60 boasts a mind full of zen and it filters subliminally into your psyche. It must do. It can be the only reason that 1,200 miles can be completed so easily and without fatigue.

Let’s face it, the roads never change for the better – pothole strewn, shared with inconsiderates – so it must be the capacity of the vehicle that makes life more bearable.

For 2025 CX-60 gets minor updates including suspension tweaks and interior refinements. An updated rear suspension improves comfort and stability even further.

As a result the Mazda is truly exemplary at building a buffer zone around the driver, who inevitably remains relaxed, unhurried, unflustered in extremis.

Even when I become lost in a distant land en route to Shrewsbury I remain calm and unflappable. A 14-hour day passes in the blink of an eye and on the way home I just let the Mazda take the strain.

So how does it do that? Well, by being easy to drive and even easier to live with. Time to break it down into its constituent parts.

Firstly, it is big so you feel indomitable on the road and safe from the rigors of other motorists. It’s a smart looking SUV too so you can feel proud and carry your head high.

On the road it is supremely capable thanks to a 2.5 litre petrol engine, plug-in hybrid comprising 129kW electric motor and a big fat battery.

These combine to chuck out 327PS and 500Nm torque. That means it is ready to sprint if necessary (0-62mph in 5.8 seconds), has deep reserves of mid-range for overtakes and will cruise merrily along the highways at the legal limit and well within its 125mph top speed – relaxing!

It will also get close to 40mpg so your wallet isn’t stressed either.

Handling is consummate too. The ride is smooth, comfortable and controlled, grip stupendous thanks to all-wheel-drive and steering sharp making the CX as agile as vehicles half the size.

Cossetted and cocooned, the driver and passengers are surrounded by a luxury you would expect to see in a vehicle with a much higher price tag.

The quality of the fixtures and fittings is off the scale and it oozes exclusivity. The materials and the way they appear handcrafted set Mazda apart.

The interior is also gloriously retro, by which I mean the clocks are conventional, clear and easy to use. There are switches and not the slightest hint of the scourge of modern cars – touchscreen.

Instead there is a round mouse on the transmission tunnel which sorts out the infotainment and satnav. You can use it instinctively without taking your eyes off the road so it is about a billion times safer than touchscreen.

It’s yet another reason why the CX-60 is such an amazing mile-eater. It shrinks the whole country into a flit round the block and there’s no better car in which I’d rather go hither and dither.