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By Jonathan Crouch

This Mazda6e sees this Hiroshima maker at last getting really serious about EVs. Jonathan Crouch believes it offers something just a little different.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 46

The Mazda6e brings the Hiroshima brand into the mainstream EV market for the first time. The company's needed outside Chinese help to develop - and build - it, but the end result is a refreshingly different option in the aspirational section of the mid-sized EV segment.

Backgroundword count: 179

The general reticence of European buyers to get on board with the full-EV revolution has been matched by Japanese maker Mazda. Here though, the Hiroshima brand has entered the electric market in earnest with this car, the Mazda6e. Prior to this model's arrival, the company had bought us only one electric model, the feeble-ranging MX-30; and even that has mainly been promoted of late in its alternative REX combustion form. In the short term, Mazda thinks big environmental gains are to be made from better electrifying combustion technology, not from flooding the roads with BEVs, so it's mainly concentrating on that. But at the same time, it has to have a presence in the full electric market, so it's turned to Chinese tech giant Changan to develop a bespoke EV powertrain. That was first seen in a car badged as the Mazda EZ-6, which is assembled in China by Changan and was launched at the Beijing Auto Show in 2024. The Mazda6e is basically a more Mazda-influenced and European-ised version of that same model. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 199

Mazda has changed the 6e's drive dynamics quite a lot over those of the Chinese market EZ-6 donor model - which is welcome. Not so good is the fact that unlike the EZ-6, the 6e won't be available in combustion REX Range Extender form - not in the short term anyway. So it's EV-only, with a choice of two variants. The standard one uses a 255bhp rear motor energised by a 68.8kWh battery offering a 298 mile range. 62mph takes 7.6s en route to 109mph. The alternative is a Long Range model also rear-driven with a 241bhp motor (with the same 320Nm torque figure) energised by a big 80kWh battery capable of taking this Mazda up to 343 miles between charges. Rest to 62mph takes 7.8s on the way to the same top speed. Despite this EV's prodigious weight, Mazda still wants it to feel as engaging as most of its other models are to drive. Hence the 50:50 weight distribution, the multi-link rear suspension and the electric rear spoiler that deploys at 55mph (or manually) to improve stability. The Hiroshima brand claims that it has 'carefully calibrated' damping, steering and braking to match European and British driver preferences.

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