Hang on, what’s this from Mazda... a big, new SUV and a diesel engine?

There we were thinking that no one would dare bring out a new large SUV with a diesel engine at this time of everything having to be among the 40 shades of ‘green’.

But we’d be wrong. Mazda, for one, is not giving up on big cars and diesel engines and is going all-out to be the top guns on the car market.

Its newly-launched CX-80, dubbed the new flagship model for Europe, has three rows of seats that can accommodate seven people and is, the firm says, the roomiest SUV it has had on sale in Europe.

The CX-80 will have a choice of plug-in petrol (PHEV) or six-cylinder diesel engine when it arrives later in the year.

All-wheel-drive (AWD) will be standard. It has the same engines as the current CX-60.

The plug-in hybrid has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with a 129kW electric motor and a 17.8 kWh battery. The diesel is powered by a six-cylinder 254ps 3.3-litre engine.

It is certainly big: a full 250mm longer wheelbase compared with the CX-60 is part of its plan to have a practical three-row interior. It is 26mm taller than the CX80 but has identical width.

You will be able to choose from three middle-row configurations:

• A three-passenger bench seat

• Two captains’ seats with a walk-through space

• Or two captains’ seats with a fixed centre console

The seven-seat set-up with the middle-row bench will be standard and is expected to be the biggest seller.

The two others (six-seat layout) will be optional.

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