Despite a partnership that spans over 20 years with EV partner Changan, Mazda says it has used its engineers in Europe to give the 6e sedan a Mazda feel.
Mazda’s first long-range electric car to be sold in Australia – the Mazda 6e – will drive like a Mazda despite its Chinese origins, the brand promises.
Through a joint-venture partnership with Chinese automaker Changan, Mazda has used the underpinnings of the Deepal SL03 electric sedan to create the Mazda 6e, due in Australia by the middle of next year.
Unlike previous Mazda EVs, including the MX-30 and CX-30 (the latter sold exclusively in China), the 6e was designed as an electric car, not conceived as a petrol-powered vehicle.
But, to ensure the new model meets Mazda’s internal benchmarks for ride comfort and handling, the brand has used its European engineers to mould the feel of the 6e for markets outside of China, giving it a point of difference from the Deepal it is based on.
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“Our R&D colleagues, mainly out of Europe, did all the work with Changan Mazda in the early days,” Mazda Australia managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, told Drive, when asked if the Mazda 6e would carry a ‘Mazda feel’ to the way it drives.
“We’ve got R&D divisions in three locations around the world: US, Japan, and Europe. The European team were the leaders.”
The Mazda 6e is set to succeed the petrol-powered Mazda 6 range in Australia.
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The car itself has had a comprehensive restyle compared to the Deepal model it is based on, but retains its footprint and ‘hard points’ – the positioning of the wheels, cabin, and structural elements that define the shape of a vehicle – plus the electric motor and battery.
Despite similarities in its appearance, Mazda has gone beyond a simple rebadge for the 6e with a unique body design, including the doors and window shape – parts that are often expensive to re-engineer.
Mazda’s marketing for the 6e will continue to use the ‘Zoom-Zoom’ catchphrase that has been a cornerstone of Mazda advertising for over 20 years, with the brand placing a strong emphasis on the handling and driver connection offered by its vehicles.
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The Mazda 6e, sold as the EZ-6 in China, was first revealed in April 2024, initially as a China-only model, before expanding to markets including Europe.
With the confirmation of the export version for Europe in January 2025, Mazda announced it would be produced in right-hand drive for the UK was also a part of the export program, which opened the door to Australia.
While both electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the Mazda 6e will be available overseas – the latter a ‘range extender’, where the petrol engine serves as a generator to power the electric motors connected to the wheels – Mazda Australia has opted for the electric version only.
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