Mazda is set to bolster its electric car line-up with the new CX-6e – a mid-sized upmarket SUV built in collaboration with Chinese car brand Changan.
Now on display at the Brussels motor show, the CX-6e is Mazda’s answer to the Audi Q6 e-tron, Ford Explorer and Tesla Model Y, and under the hood the SUV is structurally identical to the Changan Deepal 07 which is already on sale here.
Essentially the all-electric equivalent of the brand’s petrol-powered CX-60 – though slighting longer and with a lower ride height – the CX-6e makes use of a 78kWh battery and 258hp rear-mounted e-motor pairing that provides up to 300 miles on a single charge. Compatible with DC charging speeds of up to 195kW, the SUV’s battery can be topped up from 10% to 80% in around 24 minutes.
Top speed is electronically-capped at 115mph, with a 0-62mph sprint taking a reported 7.9 seconds. Opening the boot reveals 468 litres of boot space. That’s 100 litres less than the CX-60, but you do also get 80 litres of ‘frunk’ space under the bonnet.
A clear example of Mazda’s efforts to attract buyers away from premium brands, the SUV’s white and purple interior (top-spec ‘Takumi Plus’ only, also available in black and beige) features a large 26-inch infotainment touchscreen stretching from the steering wheel to passenger side on the dashboard.
Instead of physical buttons, the car’s climate control, media playback and navigation is set through this screen, which is also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The car also comes with gesture and voice control tech, allowing you to cycle songs or change your navigation route through a wave of a hand or spoken word.
A first for Mazda – the car doesn’t have a digital instrument cluster or traditional gauges behind the steering wheel. Instead, the car comes with a head-up display that projects driving information on to the windscreen. The car’s tech suite also includes lane keeping assistance and blind spot monitoring.
Built on the same production line as the Deepal 07 in China and already on sale in China and Australia as the ‘EZ-60’, the CX-6e is set to arrive in the UK towards the end of the year, six months after it launches in mainland Europe.
That sums up what we know about the new Mazda CX-6e at the moment, with the SUV’s full specifications list and UK pricing sure to follow in the coming months.
