THE diesel version of Mazda's large CX-60 SUV will be priced from £42,290 when it arrives early in 2023 - almost as much as the plug-in hybrid model launched only a couple of months ago.

With similar real world fuel economy in the low to mid-50 mpgs, the diesel is powered by a new 3.3-litre six-cylinder diesel engine developing either 200 or 254ps.

Officially the 200ps powertrain returns an average of 56.5mpg with emissions of 129g/km while the 254ps engine - which is mated to an all-wheel-drive set up and costs from £45,630 - is rated at 53.3 to the gallon with a CO2 figure of 137g/km.

Higher grade Homura and Takumi models are available only with the more powerful engine and AWD and are priced from £48,380 and £50,730 respectively.

The towing limit for the new CX-60 diesel is 2.5 tonnes.

Jeremy Thomson, Mazda Motors UK managing director, said: "The new diesel is designed to meet the needs of customers who want an efficient, long distance driving car with great towing capacity. The company's multi-solution strategy offers different products and technologies - including more efficient internal combustion engines and a wide range of electrified powertrains, that best suit the local market and society's demand for sustainability.

"While the PHEV will be the biggest selling CX-60 in the UK, the new six-cylinder diesel is a fantastic example of Mazda's long-standing reputation for engine innovation and it will be a superb choice for many retail customers looking for a high-quality large premium SUV with a clean and efficient diesel engine".

An in-line straight-six 3.0-litre e-Skyactiv petrol engine will join the e-Skyactiv D and e-Skyactiv PHEV to complete the Mazda CX-60 powerplant line-up at a later date.

In all, Mazda will be launching five new electrified products in the next three years that feature the company's multi-solution platform architecture.

After 2025, the company will launch its brand new Skyactiv EV Scalable Architecture, which will allow Mazda to efficiently build electric cars of all sizes using one common platform.

In 2023, the company will launch a new model, the Mazda CX-80, which is larger than the Mazda CX-60 and features three rows of seating.

Mazda says the CX-60 diesel will arrive in the UK in the first quarter of 2023.