New Mazda 6e: Has Mazda FINALLY found its EV mojo? | Electrifying

#mazda6e #mazda #electriccars

We’ve just been to Mazda’s secret design studio in Frankfurt to discover a brand new electric car. Could it be the long awaited MX-5 EV? Er no. It’s something a little more sensible - the 6e.



This new 6 will be available with pure electric, PHEV and range extender powertrains, although only the EV is confirmed for the UK at the moment. To help spread the cost of its bets, the 6e is made in collaboration with a Chinese company called Changan, who calls its version the Deepal SL03. We guess 6e sounds a bit more, er, sexy?



The basic standard range model has a 258PS motor powering the back wheels wired to a 68.9kWh LFP battery, which gives a range of 310 miles. That’s respectable, if not exceptional in terms of the total, although the efficiency of 4.5 m/kwh is impressive. The 200kW charging peak is at the higher end for this type of car too, but an 11kW AC figure is disappointing – we really like 22k.



There is longer range model too, but the figures are a bit odd. It uses a lithium ion battery with a 80kWh capacity which gives a 345 mile range. But you have to sacrifice a few horsepower as it only has 244PS. That’s most unusual, as most electric cars have more power on the bigger battery models. Mazda told me it’s because the LFP battery can supply more power without risk of overheating. With less power, performance and a slower charging speed you will have to really need the extra 35 miles of range to make it worthwhile choosing the long range car, especially as it is more expensive too. Mazda promises the Mazda DNA will come across in the driving experience, helped by a comparatively low weight.

Join Tom as he takes a look around the new Mazda 6e. Is Mazda finally getting on-board with electric, or is this too little, too late. Let us know in the comments below.



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[kumquat]

LFP, hatch, 200kw charging, relatively efficient = winner imo. Looks great too.

[timmurphy]

I have a Mazda 6 which I love - a large liftback - and this is a bit of a dream come true

[NorwayChallenge]

This car looks absolutely trumendous. Both the outer and interior design looks super nice. super practical while looking good as well. I think they may a best seler in it's class on their hands.

[AJames-jrkw]

The 2022 Changan Shenlan SL 03 on which this Mazda 6e is based cost US$25k back then which was about 15k less than the model 3 at that time. Shenlan translated to DeepBlue so Changan created the Deepal brand not long after. Pretty sure it will cost a whole lot more when the Mazda gets to the UK.

[ESX]

I was dead set on an A6 E-Tron, being a bit of an Audi fanboy in general, but this is seriously giving it a run for its money. The Mazda 6 is a bit of a guilty pleasure and they've done a brilliant job of bringing it into the EV world.

[QueersandSteers]

The now retired Mazda 6 ICE sedan was one of the most beautiful production sedans of all time imo. I’ve been waiting for this EV version since it was revealed a few years ago and it’s impressive. It could def use more power and a bigger battery. I’m not holding my breath for it to come to the US

[johnknight]

This is the car I've been the most interested in since your channel launched. Forget SUVs, this is what we want.

[karlInSanDiego]

Tom, you're a great auto journalist. You don't need to tell us to wait before we click away. Thanks for covering this. I know traveling to Germany to walk around a prototype is a massive faff.

[pablogodi]

That is a Changan Deepal SL03 painted in "Mazda red"

[urbanstrencan]

Ok I love the looks Mazda nailed it, and if it drives as Mazda should we have a winner :) I didn't imagine that the first EV surprise f the year will be Mazda :D
Great video, :)

[specialcircs]

I have a soft spot for Mazda, they're the innovative, scrappy, small car maker VS the giants of Toyota, Honda, etc. And their cars look beautiful. There must be a good reason I don't understand but you'd think a fully electric MX-5/ Miata would sell incredibly well.

[UpsideDownFork]

I'll put this on my short list to test drive in the future.

[PaulMeier-cuds]

Nice to get an early preview of this. I have a soft spot for Mazdas because their interior design decisions are usually good and handling using traditional suspension setups is usually exact. The interior design of this looks to be good, though I expect we will miss traditional buttons for some functions. 300+ miles and 280 something horsepower to rear wheels looks like a good formula powered by a fairly small battery for that range. If the price is right, it should sell. I prefer it to anything VW/Audi are currently doing.

[AJames-jrkw]

Tom, the Changan sl03 has a 473ltr boot enlarging to 1180 with back seats down. This is basically the same car with a Mazda bonnet.

[martinmorgan]

Four point nine metres - that's a very BIG motor. That could make parking difficult in a supermarket carpark. I share your thoughts about it being somewhat of of date by the projected launch date but perhaps there will be last minute upgrades before that.

[aeonturnip]

An estate version of this would be good, if they can keep the price reasonable - that boot is a bit shallow and small as it stands.

[noahsemyonov]

this Mazda 6e or EZ-6 is based off of the Changan Deepal L07. Mazda’s joint venture in China.

[tureq]

not sure if im biased as i had 2.2D mazda 6 back ten years ago and loved it, but this one looks stunning inside & out!!

[johnnodge]

We loved our Mazda CX5, which apart from the ICE under the bonnet, was a very good vehicle. Dare I say the CX5 had better build quality than our current Ioniq 5. If the prices are and spec are right for the LFP, I might be tempted go for this, when our I-5 lease is up.

[_MANASYt]

Love Mazda and this is a stunning car! It starts at only 15K pounds, here in China!