Can Mazda's striking CX-6e mid-sized electric crossover finally break the brand properly into the EV market? Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Background

Having been slow to get on board with the EV revolution, Mazda is beginning to catch up - with a little Chinese help. And this CX-6e mid-sized electric SUV is arguably its most important BEV yet. Like the Mazda 6e saloon, with which it shares all its engineering, the CX-6e was developed in collaboration with Chinese maker Changan; it's officially designated as a CMA (Changan Mazda Automobile) model and shares just about everything you can't see with another EV crossover trying to make headway in this crowded segment, the Changan Deepal S07. But the CX-6e has its own very striking look. And, Mazda claims, very much its own driving feel too. Can it offer something different in this sector?

Engines and Tech Spec

Having to base the engineering and drive dynamics of this CX-6e on its co-developed Changan Deepal S07 close cousin was less than ideal for Mazda's German European R&D centre. Not only because that Chinese model (which shares the same EPA2 platform) doesn't offer a particularly immersive ride and handling package, but also because Oriental expectations of driving range in this segment are somewhat behind European ones. Only a single 78kWh battery size is offered, which can take the car up to 300 miles - or 290 miles on the 21-inch wheels your CX-6e is more likely to have. Either way, these figures aren't particularly noteworthy in a class where rivals can often take you 20 to 30% further than that. Many of those competitors offer the option of an AWD dual motor powertrain but this CX-6e comes only with a single rear-mounted motor developing 258PS. Which is enough to take the car from rest to 62mph in 7.9s en route to 115mph. Lots of effort though, has gone into imbuing this Mazda with the brand's trademark 'jinba ittai' driver and vehicle synchronicity. With the company's combustion models, that's based around a light weight that can't be carried over to this bulky EV. So the engineers have tried instead to deliver it in other ways, concentrating on lowering noise, vibration and harshness. Plus refining the feel of the brake pedal and the transition between regenerative and mechanical braking. As with the Mazda6e, there's a multi-link rear suspension set-up and the Hiroshima brand claims that it has 'carefully calibrated' damping, steering and braking to match European and British driver preferences.

Design and Build

Mazda describes the look of this CX-6e as 'living art' and it's undeniably a striking-looking thing, based on the brand's Arata concept car and featuring the company's 'Signature Wing' design language. It's essentially the electric version of Mazda's CX-60 combustion model, but at 4,850mm long and 1,935mm wide is a fraction bigger than that car (and also a little longer than obvious rivals like the Tesla Model Y and the Skoda Enyaq). The clean-surfaced look is low, wide and imposing, with a shallow glasshouse, big wheels (19 or 21-inches) and a long bonnet that flows down into a back-lit nose that animates on start-up. A slim front duct channels air over the bonnet, there are integrated air vents in the C-pillars and there's a raked rear screen above ultra-thin LED lighting that sits above spaced out MAZDA lettering on the tailgate. And inside? Well Mazda's cabin design policy used to be based around retaining lots of physical controls, but the CX-6e goes in the opposite direction, relocating almost everything into an enormous 26.45-inch 5K central monitor, accessible by touch, voice and gesture. There's no instrument screen, but you don't really need one because there's a standard head-up display. With top spec, there are screens at either end of the dash replacing conventional door mirrors. We're not sold on the functionality of this, but the centre screen's gesture set-up works quite well, with features like a thumbs up (to turn the EV soundtrack on or off) and waving (to skip or repeat a song). The materials used around the cabin are quite plush, including a synthetic finish called 'MazTex' which covers the seats and dashboard panels. In the rear, there's lots of stretch-out room courtesy of the generous 2,902mm-long wheelbase length, though the floor level is rather high due to the huge battery pack beneath. At least the big panoramic glass roof makes the back feel airy and rear seat controls are provided for the sunshade that comes with it. Out back, there's a 468-litre boot - which is 138-litres more than a Mazda6e but a little under the class standard (nearly 300-litres less than a Tesla Model Y). But unlike some segment rivals (Skoda's Enyaq for instance), there's an under-bonnet 'frunk' for the charging leads, this one 180-litres in size, big enough for a carry-on suitcase.

Market and Model

The single powertrain on offer is available in a choice of two CX-6e trim variants, 'Takumi', priced from around £43,000 and 'Takumi Plus', priced from just over £45,000. 'Takumi' models feature 19-inch wheels as standard and can be upgraded to 21-inch wheels for £1,000, while the flagship 'Takumi Plus' gets 21-inch wheels as standard, as well as digital rear-view and side cameras, a translucent interior styling bar with ambient lighting, heated outer rear seats and ventilated outer rear seat bases, plus additional controls on the rear function touchscreen to control these. Across both model grades, the smart cockpit centres on a sweeping 26.45-inch touchscreen with a customisable dual-split layout complemented by a large head-up display that overlays navigation guidance onto the road ahead. Gesture control lets you quickly select pre-saved routes or play your favourite music without touching a button. Voice recognition responds naturally to everyday requests - whether that's adjusting the temperature, opening the windows, or finding your next destination. As well as wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto', the CX-6e has its own dedicated app, with many remote-control functions including Bluetooth key sharing and battery charge management. As for safety, every model features nine airbags and a network of high-definition cameras, millimetre-wave radar and ultrasonic sensors to enhance visibility and awareness. Plus there's a full suite of driver assistance systems, including Smart Brake Support, Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Monitoring.

Cost of Ownership

Another issue with basing this car on Changan engineering is that it's not going to be able to match the highest European expectations with regard to charging speed. The DC figure is a modest 200kW, though even so a 10 to 80% top up can be done in 24 minutes. A 30-80% DC charge takes 15 minutes. At home connected to a typical single-phase 7.2kW AC wallbox, a full charge needs 11 hours 48 minutes, which would be a problem if you've a late finish and an early start and can't connect via an 11kW three-phase AC supply (which would reduce the full charge time to 8 hours). There's no 22kW AC charging option. As with all EVs, your company Benefit-in-Kind tax rating will be low - pitched at 4% at the time of this review until Spring 2027 - though that'll rise in coming years. And though you now have the pay the London Congestion charge in an EV, you still get free access to the city's ULEZ zone. We should additionally mention the warranty, the usual unremarkable Mazda three year / 60,000 mile package. You can manage maintenance with a useful 'My Mazda App', which can give you reminders about servicing and through which you can book your car in at your local dealership and access a digitally-stored record of your model's service history. In addition, there's a 'Mazda Accident Aftercare' scheme which sees the company liaise with your insurer after an accident, making sure that you have access to a courtesy car if you need one and ensuring that all repairs are carried out to full Mazda standards.

Summary

Mazda's first attempts at EV design haven't found many customers but this CX-6e should do much better, not least because of the way it looks. The brand describes it as 'more progressive' than its combustion showroom stablemates, not only in terms of its powertrain but also because of its technology and cabin design. Much of this has necessarily had to be influenced by this model's Changan Deepal S07 Chinese close cousin and the result is rather less of a Mazda feel than with the brand's more familiar models. But this is more than just a badge-engineered product and the Hiroshima marque has done well to give it its own distinct character. Mazda is at last striding into the EV area with a sense of purpose - and not before time.